as in revolutionaries
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
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Recent Examples of extremists
Her prank of lying in wait for each of her housemates, bombarding them with a Super Soaker, and then enlisting them in her eco-army of Seussian extremists was just pure wonderful delight.
—
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 6 May 2026
For years, Christian clergy who live and work in Jerusalem have reported being frequently spat on, harassed and even physically attacked by Israeli extremists.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 1 May 2026
Conway’s rhetoric, which sounds eerily similar to that of extremists such as Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, drew a sharp rebuke from his colleague and fellow Councilman Yitzy Schleifer, who criticized Conway for singling out contributions from AIPAC for scrutiny.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 30 Apr. 2026
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
Reparations will support education, economic aid and mental health services, with programs specifically targeting women and girls who endured systematic persecution by extremists in Timbuktu.
—Molly Quell, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Vulnerable rural communities regularly come under fire from Islamic extremists and bandits who take advantage of Nigeria’s vast rural areas and security gaps.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
The Associated Press reported that Algerian authorities rejected a Vatican request for Leo to visit Médéa to pray at the Tibhirine monastery, the place where seven French Trappist monks were kidnapped and killed May 21, 1996, by Islamic extremists during the country’s civil war.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Modern extremists aren’t known for their love of Broadway, but a song about impressing a girl by killing a president takes on new meaning when sung from the lips of a social media loner.
—Charles Lewis Iii, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
Brian Moylan, Vulture, 6 May 2026
For years, Christian clergy who live and work in Jerusalem have reported being frequently spat on, harassed and even physically attacked by Israeli extremists.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 1 May 2026
Conway’s rhetoric, which sounds eerily similar to that of extremists such as Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, drew a sharp rebuke from his colleague and fellow Councilman Yitzy Schleifer, who criticized Conway for singling out contributions from AIPAC for scrutiny.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 30 Apr. 2026
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
Reparations will support education, economic aid and mental health services, with programs specifically targeting women and girls who endured systematic persecution by extremists in Timbuktu.
—Molly Quell, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Vulnerable rural communities regularly come under fire from Islamic extremists and bandits who take advantage of Nigeria’s vast rural areas and security gaps.
—ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
The Associated Press reported that Algerian authorities rejected a Vatican request for Leo to visit Médéa to pray at the Tibhirine monastery, the place where seven French Trappist monks were kidnapped and killed May 21, 1996, by Islamic extremists during the country’s civil war.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Modern extremists aren’t known for their love of Broadway, but a song about impressing a girl by killing a president takes on new meaning when sung from the lips of a social media loner.
—Charles Lewis Iii, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extremists
Noun
-
French revolutionaries sought to remake their society, executing tens of thousands of those who stood in their way.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The second includes former revolutionaries, reformists, communist factions and groups such as the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), many of whom emerged from or once supported the revolutionary system before later opposing it.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
To its members, Latin America’s leaders weren’t revolutionary peers but swarthy radicals.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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By using multiple pulses in a sequence, chemists can study additional properties of radicals that are difficult to see with continuous-wave EPR, says Sideris, who recently moved to Stanford University.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extremists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extremists. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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