1
as in dissenters
a person who believes, teaches, or advocates something opposed to accepted beliefs
Galileo was condemned as a heretic for supporting Copernicus's thesis that the earth revolves around the sun and not vice versa
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mavericks
a person who does not conform to generally accepted standards or customs
he's the ultimate heretic: a Yankees fan living deep in the heart of the Red Sox Nation
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Recent Examples of heretics
Among those applauding at the end was Carmen Chaplin, one of the director’s granddaughters, and even heretics, whose faith in Chaplin is fickle, will have been swept along.
—
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heretics
Noun
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Soon, dissenters are labeled enemies of the state.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
9 Jan. 2026
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The Venezuelan regime assassinated dissenters, unlawfully detained opposition leaders (such as Maria Corina Machado), and still holds political prisoners hostage.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Most of our mavericks who fly that close to the sun never get to see that journey through.—
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson,
Rolling Stone,
30 Oct. 2025
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Still, his detective instincts are ultimately reawakened, and his new department becomes a magnet for a crew of misfits and mavericks.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The largest exchange since the Cold War took place in August 2024, when Moscow freed journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, fellow American Paul Whelan, and Russian dissidents in a multinational deal that set two dozen people free.—
Sylvie Corbet,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
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Originally designed as a shopping mall in the 1950s, the structure was later taken over by Venezuelan authorities and turned into a detention center, especially under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro, who used it to hold political prisoners and dissidents.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The women in her stories feel profound, distinct uncertainty toward convention—less as iconoclasts than fierce individuals.—
Chloe Schama,
Vogue,
26 Dec. 2025
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The show’s hosts, Charlotte Shane and Jo Livingstone, are two of our coolest literary iconoclasts.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
9 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Heretics.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heretics. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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