as in excessiveness
belief in and support for ideas that are very far from what most people consider correct or reasonable
political extremism
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Recent Examples of extremism
In particular, when politicians use demonizing or dehumanizing rhetoric to attack their opponents— for example, using words that depict their opponents as subhuman— this fosters extremism and helps motivate extremists to hurt their opponents physically.
—
James Piazza, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
There is growing concern that extemist rhetoric and Islamist extremism, including calls to ‘globalize the intifada,’ has helped fuel an environment in which hatred against Jews is increasingly normalized, unchecked, and dangerously emboldened.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
The organization, whose core mission is combating political extremism, argues fiscal crises historically create the conditions for radical political actors to gain traction.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Whose whole purpose is to – is to investigate violent, right-wing extremism in the country.
—CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extremism
James Piazza, Twin Cities, 30 Apr. 2026
There is growing concern that extemist rhetoric and Islamist extremism, including calls to ‘globalize the intifada,’ has helped fuel an environment in which hatred against Jews is increasingly normalized, unchecked, and dangerously emboldened.
—Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
The organization, whose core mission is combating political extremism, argues fiscal crises historically create the conditions for radical political actors to gain traction.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
Whose whole purpose is to – is to investigate violent, right-wing extremism in the country.
—CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extremism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extremism
Noun
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The plaintiffs are suing Easterseals for damages in excess of $25,000.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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Other oil companies paid an excess of $3 million in addition to the crossing fee to accelerate their passage in the face of soaring oil prices.—
Alma Solís,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But beyond its account of a family in flight, from both the authorities and its own murkier truths, Dangerous, Dirty, Violent and Young interrogates the radicalism of the 1960s and 70s, its unlikely alliances, its political legacies, and its many, many casualties along the way.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
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But that distinction would have made little sense to seventeenth-century women, whose religious radicalism led them to make vehement political critiques of their own society.—
Chandler Fritz,
The New York Review of Books,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But this often requires accepting the fundamental irrationality of the wrapping-up process.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
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The irrationality of politicians suddenly makes sense.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extremism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extremism. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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