as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel
the militancy of the radical organization gave the authorities cause for concern
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Recent Examples of militancy
Palestinian militancy is not redeeming.
—
Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
After all, as many U.S. officials believed, Islamist ideology became a global phenomenon because of the success of Iran’s revolution in 1979 (never mind that the Iranian regime’s resolute Shiism separated it from the Sunni militancy of groups such as al-Qaeda).
—Vali Nasr, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
Washington nails Malcolm’s steely militancy and gift of gab, but the performance goes far deeper, examining the early failings and eventual righteous fury that transformed him into a once-in-a-lifetime political figure.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Israel says the operations are needed to stamp out militancy, as violence by all sides has surged since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack ignited war in Gaza.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Chicago Tribune, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for militancy
Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
After all, as many U.S. officials believed, Islamist ideology became a global phenomenon because of the success of Iran’s revolution in 1979 (never mind that the Iranian regime’s resolute Shiism separated it from the Sunni militancy of groups such as al-Qaeda).
—Vali Nasr, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025
Washington nails Malcolm’s steely militancy and gift of gab, but the performance goes far deeper, examining the early failings and eventual righteous fury that transformed him into a once-in-a-lifetime political figure.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Israel says the operations are needed to stamp out militancy, as violence by all sides has surged since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack ignited war in Gaza.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Chicago Tribune, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for militancy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for militancy
Noun
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Her previous visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Japan’s war dead, including war criminals, have drawn criticism from China and South Korea, which see the site as a symbol of Tokyo’s wartime aggression.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
10 Oct. 2025
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Bronstein, her every utterance brimming with deadpan passive-aggression, was shrewd to cast herself as one of Linda’s many antagonists.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Thursday, the Red Wings managed to play smart hockey without sacrificing their aggressiveness.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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Yet despite the cancer's aggressiveness, its hormone-sensitive nature offers a viable treatment pathway, according to the National Cancer Institute.—
Molly Nagle,
ABC News,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That would basically say that he wouldn't have been prosecuted if not for the president's hostility toward him.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
8 Oct. 2025
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Two-thirds of Israelis want an end to the war in Gaza—an increase of 13 percentage points from a year ago—according to a poll that found the fate of hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023, the main reason for a desire for hostilities to end.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The flamboyance, militance, and violence of the 1960s left might not have worked right away, after all.—
Samuel Goldman,
The Week,
6 Jan. 2022
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The human relationship to fire on this specific piece of land was not always one of fear, anxiety, and militance.—
Manjula Martin,
The New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Militancy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/militancy. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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