1
as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
political radicals with a militant unwillingness to compromise on any issue
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ambitious
having or showing a bold forcefulness in the pursuit of a goal
militant protestors refusing to disperse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in partisan
one who is intensely or excessively devoted to a cause
militants within the movement insisted that there could be no compromise on the issue
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of militant
Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2025
Israel says the militant group can access the remains of most of the hostages.
—Maayan Lubell, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
That came a day after militants returned the remains of three Israeli hostages who had been taken to Gaza in the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, which started the devastating war.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for militant
Adjective
Israel had previously accused Hamas of a similar attack in Rafah that saw two soldiers killed earlier this month, with the militant group also denying involvement at the time.
—Chantal Da Silva, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2025
Israel says the militant group can access the remains of most of the hostages.
—Maayan Lubell, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
In 2010, while covering an event in Lara, a western state that has long been a government stronghold, he and several fellow journalists were ambushed by a mob of militants loyal to the regime.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
That came a day after militants returned the remains of three Israeli hostages who had been taken to Gaza in the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, which started the devastating war.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for militant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for militant
Adjective
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That’s the kind of chance that last season, a more aggressive-looking Stolarz would have used his frame — and frankly, his big-game presence — to turn away with ease.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
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The agency has also faced criticism for aggressive tactics used by ICE agents in executing the president’s immigration policy.—
Andy Rose 19 hr ago,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Federal officials decided to fund an ambitious megaproject to sequence all human genes.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
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China’s ambitious plan to build the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC), a multibillion-dollar project aimed at creating the world’s largest particle collider, is likely to be officially stalled after it was not included in the country’s next five-year plan.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Beloved by liberal partisans and loathed by their counterparts, Pelosi was one of the last engineers of an old-school political machine that could count votes better than anyone in a generation.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
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Critics will predictably argue that those two positions are inherently linked; on the opposite side of the political spectrum, oil and gas partisans could point to Gates’ essay as proof that climate hysteria was misguided all along and that fossil use should continue unimpeded.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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There are guns, horses, ghosts, a primal struggle for survival in hostile terrain, family feuds and a steadily intensifying sense of mortal threat, as Old Porch’s ambition and psychopathy escalate the drama.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
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Fire department suffering low morale When Washington was fired, City Manager Sheryl Long blamed him for creating a hostile work environment for female firefighters and for failing to improve the department's workplace culture.—
Aaron Valdez,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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In intra-party diplo-speak, that was about as fierce a burn as can come from the party’s central committee.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The city’s fierce weather pattern is fueled by the same Arctic air mass expected to sweep through the eastern two-thirds of the US this week.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The civil rights activist pointed out that Davis has been divorced several times, noting that this is counter to some Americans' religious beliefs as well.—
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Anti-Trump activists are deploying an array of tactics to fight back against the policies of the President and his Administration — protests, marches, events, advocacy campaigns, social media videos.—
Time,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Is Lee Raybon a righteous crusader for truth and justice or a dangerously delusional white savior?—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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Austin’s disappearance transformed his mother, Debra, into a geopolitical crusader overnight.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Militant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/militant. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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