1
as in lovers
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something
football fanatics are pretty much booked up for weekends from Labor Day to Super Bowl Sunday
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in partisans
one who is intensely or excessively devoted to a cause
once he joined the movement, he became a fanatic
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 fanatics
Plane Spotting From Airport Hotels Special aviation packages are not the only way for plane fanatics to get up close and personal with their passion.
—
Ramsey Qubein, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Virginia's capital city has something for every kind of traveler—from history lovers and art fanatics to foodies and outdoorsy types.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 30 May 2026
With the possible exception of the bike-lane debacle in Chicago, dominated by zero-sum fanatics, few debates have been as nasty as the one involving Chicagoland’s new football stadium.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
This was an event eagerly anticipated among opera fanatics for several reasons.
—Martin Filler, The New York Review of Books, 23 May 2026
For both Milne and Dermody, long-time Eurovision fanatics who have traveled to Vienna, the contest is somewhat diminished this year.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
The differences have been between the more and the less patient, the cruder and the subtler, the slightly more compromising and the hard-core fanatics.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
In regards to the Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci reteam exceeding $80M+, the pic really needs the date crowd, Prada fanatics, and ladies night to make a trail toward multiplexes.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 1 May 2026
In 2025, the eatery was voted among the Top 50 sports bar in Charlotte, cementing itself as a go-to spot for sports fanatics, CharlotteFive previously reported.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
Ramsey Qubein, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Virginia's capital city has something for every kind of traveler—from history lovers and art fanatics to foodies and outdoorsy types.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 30 May 2026
With the possible exception of the bike-lane debacle in Chicago, dominated by zero-sum fanatics, few debates have been as nasty as the one involving Chicagoland’s new football stadium.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026
This was an event eagerly anticipated among opera fanatics for several reasons.
—Martin Filler, The New York Review of Books, 23 May 2026
For both Milne and Dermody, long-time Eurovision fanatics who have traveled to Vienna, the contest is somewhat diminished this year.
—Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
The differences have been between the more and the less patient, the cruder and the subtler, the slightly more compromising and the hard-core fanatics.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
In regards to the Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci reteam exceeding $80M+, the pic really needs the date crowd, Prada fanatics, and ladies night to make a trail toward multiplexes.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 1 May 2026
In 2025, the eatery was voted among the Top 50 sports bar in Charlotte, cementing itself as a go-to spot for sports fanatics, CharlotteFive previously reported.
—Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 27 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fanatics
Noun
-
The mountain still erupts with theatrical force, and wines from the surrounding Etna DOC (a region often predicted to become Sicily’s second DOCG, the highest classification) attract wine lovers with their vibrant acidity and mineral edge.—
Layne Randolph,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
The restaurant doesn’t let meat lovers suffer, offering a 24-ounce Tomahawk and a flaming filet flaming courtesy of tequila.—
Connie Ogle
May 31,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
With a large pack of Democrats running and just two serious Republican contenders, Democratic partisans feared their fractured vote would let the GOP nab both spots in Tuesday’s top-two primary.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
-
Tribalism renders too many partisans unable to think ahead more than one election.—
Washington Post Editorial Board,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The score alone might make the fans happy.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
1 June 2026
-
Watermelon Pool was first published in Korea in 2015, and this new English translation brings its wonderfully surreal story and artwork to a new audience of imaginative young fans.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Islamabad and Washington shared intelligence that led to the capture of Al Qaeda leaders and militants, especially those who threatened the Pakistani state.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
3 June 2026
-
The taking of Beaufort castle, near the city of Nabatiyeh, followed days of airstrikes and intense fighting in nearby villages between Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
The most minimal type of pruning, selective pruning refers to removing dead, diseased, or broken branches and suckers coming up from the roots to improve the structure of the plant.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
28 May 2026
-
Details such as the relatively few suckers on its arms, its smooth skin, beak features and the coloring around its organs and parts of the mantle indicated a new species, now called Microeledone galapagensis.—
Jeanna Bryner,
Scientific American,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
Since then, graduates have heard from prime ministers, presidents, Supreme Court justices, movie stars, civil-rights crusaders, and Taylor Swift.—
Jonathan Haidt,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
Anti-porn crusaders of all ilks also hijacked the news of Radvinsky’s passing for their various pro-censorship agendas.—
Gustavo Turner,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Ultimately, society became even more dependent on the technology than enthusiasts had predicted.—
Robert Ginsburg,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Though an exhaustive search was conducted, including an intensive investigation by authorities, private investigators and true-crime enthusiasts, Natalee, who was 18 at the time, was never found.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Pastors, politicians and activists came together on Saturday with the goal of energizing apathetic Kansas City voters ahead of the primary election at the 19th annual Urban Summit.—
Freddrell Green,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2026
-
Those who declined frequently faced intense criticism from media outlets and activists.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fanatics.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fanatics. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
