militants

noun

plural of militant
as in partisans
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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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 militants Despite Riyadh’s considerable air defenses and vast military spending, the militants have been able to outsmart the systems using relatively cheap drones and missiles. — semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026 It was used in combat in 2017 against ISIS militants in Afghanistan. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 Israel’s military agency blamed local merchants’ dispute with Hamas militants over truck fees, but Gaza’s truckers union says Israel imposed the restrictions. — Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 Palestinians fled the camp in 2025 as the Israeli military carried out a widespread crackdown against West Bank militants. — Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026 Saudi Arabia spends tens of billions of dollars on defense every year, but is struggling to protect key assets such as airports, refineries and pipelines from missiles and drones fired by Houthi militants from Yemen. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 The group itself claims to have trained more than a million militants. — Dov Lieber, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 Islamabad has repeatedly accused Afghanistan's Taliban government of providing sanctuary to TTP militants, an allegation Kabul denies. — ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026 Memorials have been held at homes, roadsides, kibbutzim and the Nova music festival site, where militants killed more than 360 people and took 44 hostages. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for militants
  1. partisans
  2. activists
  3. crusaders
Noun
  • In such seats, the primary becomes the real election, a dynamic that tends to favor the coronation of extremely polarizing nominees since, typically, that electorate is composed of committed partisans.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Eventually, Sinclair partisans took matters into their own hands by heckling the fake newsreels and disrupting screenings.
    — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of partisans
Noun
  • There is no sign that anyone but Khanna or Ocasio-Cortez is moving towards a new Gaza answer that activists might prefer.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Rowling has been staunchly critical of transgender rights activists, funding legal efforts to protect women’s rights and penning X/Twitter posts that are considered to be attacks by the trans community.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of activists
Noun
  • The book is full of stories of villains, like the venomous heroin that took so many of Seattle’s crusaders as well as the music industry that never quite understood where Soundgarden belonged.
    — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 9 June 2026
  • The facility remains popular among anti-immigrant crusaders, and Attorney General Uthmeier’s campaign store sells Alligator Alcatraz bumper stickers, T-shirts, and caps.
    — Eric Schlosser, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026
Definition of crusaders

Browse Nearby Words

militantness
militants
militarism
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Cite this Entry

“Militants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/militants. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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