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
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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
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Recent Examples of extremist
Megan Thiele Strong, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Incumbent Socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo, elected in 2014 and reelected in 2020, decided against seeking a third term, having steered the French capital through the trauma of extremist attacks in 2015 and the exuberance of the Paris Olympics in 2024.
—ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
The attack on the Michigan synagogue took place the same day that a former Army National Guard member — who served years in prison for attempting to aid the extremist group Islamic State — opened fire on a classroom at Old Dominion University in Virginia, killing one person and wounding two others.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
The film also links the crime to extremist violence and skinhead culture.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Officials have not alleged direct operational contact with ISIS, but are working to determine whether the suspects were inspired by extremist propaganda consumed online.
—Stepheny Price , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Greg Wehner , Cb Cotton, FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Investigators were also working to determine if the suspects were inspired by ISIS extremist messaging.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
In 2024, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution declared Jüdische Stimme an extremist organization.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
The bodies of three Palestinians killed by extremist Israeli settlers were placed in a schoolyard in Abu Falah, a village near Ramallah, wrapped in Palestinian flags.
—Fadwa Hodali, Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2026
Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2026
Kent, a former political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed to his post last July on a 52-44 vote.
—Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
Kent is a right-wing extremist with ties to the antisemite commentator Tucker Carlson.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026
Maiduguri city had been at the heart of the deadly violence but has in recent years experienced relative peace even as the countryside is often battered by extremists.
—CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
The country is also plagued by fighting involving Boko Haram militants in the north, as the Islamic extremist group’s insurgency in neighboring Nigeria has spilled over into Cameroon.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
Jalloh was barred from possessing a gun given a previous felony conviction for attempting to aid the Islamic State extremist group.
—Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Jalloh, a former Army National Guard member, was barred from possessing a gun after pleading guilty in 2016 to attempting to aid the Islamic State extremist group.
—Alan G. Breed, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Nearly 1 in 5 Americans believed in QAnon four years ago, an alt-right extremist fantasy that was as popular as some major religions.
—Megan Thiele Strong, Chicago Tribune, 16 Mar. 2026
Incumbent Socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo, elected in 2014 and reelected in 2020, decided against seeking a third term, having steered the French capital through the trauma of extremist attacks in 2015 and the exuberance of the Paris Olympics in 2024.
—ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
The attack on the Michigan synagogue took place the same day that a former Army National Guard member — who served years in prison for attempting to aid the extremist group Islamic State — opened fire on a classroom at Old Dominion University in Virginia, killing one person and wounding two others.
—Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
The film also links the crime to extremist violence and skinhead culture.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
Officials have not alleged direct operational contact with ISIS, but are working to determine whether the suspects were inspired by extremist propaganda consumed online.
—Stepheny Price , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Greg Wehner , Cb Cotton, FOXNews.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Investigators were also working to determine if the suspects were inspired by ISIS extremist messaging.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 9 Mar. 2026
In 2024, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution declared Jüdische Stimme an extremist organization.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
The bodies of three Palestinians killed by extremist Israeli settlers were placed in a schoolyard in Abu Falah, a village near Ramallah, wrapped in Palestinian flags.
—Fadwa Hodali, Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2026
Noun
Maiduguri has been at the heart of deadly violence in Nigeria in the past, but has experienced relative peace in recent years, even as the countryside is often battered by extremists.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2026
Kent, a former political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed to his post last July on a 52-44 vote.
—Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
Kent is a right-wing extremist with ties to the antisemite commentator Tucker Carlson.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026
Maiduguri city had been at the heart of the deadly violence but has in recent years experienced relative peace even as the countryside is often battered by extremists.
—CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
The country is also plagued by fighting involving Boko Haram militants in the north, as the Islamic extremist group’s insurgency in neighboring Nigeria has spilled over into Cameroon.
—ABC News, 16 Mar. 2026
Jalloh was barred from possessing a gun given a previous felony conviction for attempting to aid the Islamic State extremist group.
—Alanna Durkin Richer, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
Jalloh, a former Army National Guard member, was barred from possessing a gun after pleading guilty in 2016 to attempting to aid the Islamic State extremist group.
—Alan G. Breed, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extremist
Adjective
-
As a young woman, Stanton frequently visited her cousin Gerrit Smith, a militant abolitionist and an ally of John Brown, whose house in Peterboro, New York, was a hotbed for radical intellectuals.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The first film from powerhouse distributor Neon to open SXSW, this tale of a team of shoplifters fighting against an unequal system will receive the maximum spotlight for its radical message ahead of opening May 22.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
On the left, Anderson trots out stock characters — the oversexed Black woman revolutionary, Leo’s cuckolded white stoner, doctrinaire newcomers — from a Bob Hope skit about hippies.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The 25-year-old Indianapolis native plays Willa, the daughter of former revolutionaries DiCaprio and Taylor, who goes on the lam when unsavory characters from her parents’ past attempt to track her down.—
Heather Bushman,
IndyStar,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Erin Lee Opponents, however, call the measure extreme and its language deceptive.—
Austen Erblat,
CBS News,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Scientists and researchers warn that climate change is shaping people’s daily life in increasingly extreme ways, from whiplash swings between very wet and very dry seasons to earlier springs, more frequent heat waves and shrinking snowpacks.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Based on the rabid demand and explosive growth of Kylie Cosmetics, the company drew the attention of the business press.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
11 Mar. 2026
-
As one of the stars of gay hockey smut — sorry, show — Heated Rivalry, Storrie’s overnight catapult into the spotlight has bestowed upon him a rabid fanbase of horny women.—
Rima Parikh,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extremist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extremist. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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