as in radical
being very far from the center of public opinion
their extremist views on religious issues set them apart from the rest of the community
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in revolutionary
a person who favors rapid and sweeping changes especially in laws and methods of government
extremists wanted to do away with everything, even though they had no thought-out plan for what to do afterwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of extremist
Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 6 Apr. 2026
Reports of extremist threats against places of worship added to the sense of unease.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
It is considered an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
It has been shaken by violence from extremist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, and the governments fighting them.
—Wilson McMakin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
The whole internet is a machine for extremist thought, belief, and action.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
Police sources said Heifler, who is an alleged member of the violent extremist organization Jewish Defense League, had plans to flee to Israel after the attack.
—CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Several Israeli civil rights and political groups have criticized the government for not doing enough to combat the extremist settler violence.
—Monica Alba, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2026
Hidalgo was elected in 2014 and reelected in 2020 but chose not to seek a third six-year term after leading the city through the 2015 extremist attacks and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
—ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Bart Jansen, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Attention is turning to the new terror chief seen as an extremist pulling strings, Vahidi — a longtime Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander whose reemergence highlights a broader shift underway inside Iran’s leadership.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Yet Ali’s act does not only evoke terrorist incidents such as the Charlie Hebdo attack, perpetrated by Muslim extremists, just a few months prior to The Red Chador.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 31 Mar. 2026
The Italian metal extremist has been going down a rabbit hole of his own with a series of highly technical I, Voidhanger releases marked by extraterrestrial synth work and winding, stop-on-a-dime riffs.
—Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 30 Mar. 2026
In 2022, two officers were shot dead by Christian extremists at a rural property in Queensland state.
—CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Otherwise extremists win and America will lose.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
Just as former gang members serve as effective anti-gang advocates, former extremists work with those who either volunteer to leave or have been court-mandated to go through deradicalization.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Kent, a former Green Beret and political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed in July on a 52-44 vote.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
That said, there’s fundamental things about Mormonism in these extremist groups that are somewhat captivating because women in mainstream culture are seeing echoes in the tradwife movement, in the patriarchy that is integral to Mormonism.
—Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 6 Apr. 2026
Reports of extremist threats against places of worship added to the sense of unease.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
It is considered an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 3 Apr. 2026
It has been shaken by violence from extremist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, and the governments fighting them.
—Wilson McMakin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
The whole internet is a machine for extremist thought, belief, and action.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
Police sources said Heifler, who is an alleged member of the violent extremist organization Jewish Defense League, had plans to flee to Israel after the attack.
—CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Several Israeli civil rights and political groups have criticized the government for not doing enough to combat the extremist settler violence.
—Monica Alba, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2026
Hidalgo was elected in 2014 and reelected in 2020 but chose not to seek a third six-year term after leading the city through the 2015 extremist attacks and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
—ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
Keep the pressure on every single one of these extremists.
—Bart Jansen, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Attention is turning to the new terror chief seen as an extremist pulling strings, Vahidi — a longtime Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander whose reemergence highlights a broader shift underway inside Iran’s leadership.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Yet Ali’s act does not only evoke terrorist incidents such as the Charlie Hebdo attack, perpetrated by Muslim extremists, just a few months prior to The Red Chador.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 31 Mar. 2026
The Italian metal extremist has been going down a rabbit hole of his own with a series of highly technical I, Voidhanger releases marked by extraterrestrial synth work and winding, stop-on-a-dime riffs.
—Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 30 Mar. 2026
In 2022, two officers were shot dead by Christian extremists at a rural property in Queensland state.
—CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Otherwise extremists win and America will lose.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
Just as former gang members serve as effective anti-gang advocates, former extremists work with those who either volunteer to leave or have been court-mandated to go through deradicalization.
—Natalie Eilbert, jsonline.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Kent, a former Green Beret and political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed in July on a 52-44 vote.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extremist
Adjective
-
The proliferation of biennials in the ’90s made the art world multicentric and global, a radical shift compared with previous decades.—
Daniel Birnbaum,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The new group is less radical and much more reasonable.—
James Powel,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Thanks to a new English book from Boston playwright Kirsten Greenidge, the action is transported from France to 1776-era Boston where Massachusetts revolutionary and patriot Deborah Sampson has disguised herself as a man to fight for independence.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
These works follow aging revolutionaries who have given up the fight after being forced into hiding or choosing to raise a family; some have simply grown tired of the struggle.—
Boris Kachka,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But that was extreme, that was a different level.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Say goodbye to back pain and sore muscles with the Chirp Wheel XR 3-Pack, your at-home toolkit for extreme relief.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
And then there’s the New England Sports Network, or NESN, which has the benefit of airing some local games to New England’s rabid fan base, as well as Pittsburgh’s.—
Lillian Rizzo,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
-
One rabid mongoose bite later, and Ben is a skull-crushing, face-ripping menace terrorizing Lucy and her friends.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extremist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extremist. Accessed 9 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
