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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of militants
Maersk first tacked on these surcharges at the start of the Red Sea crisis in December 2023, when Houthi militants in Yemen began to launch drone and missile attacks against commercial ships passing through the waterway.
—
Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
The spate of kidnappings of Christians in north-central Nigeria by mostly Muslim Fulani militants is a deliberate tactic to target, bankrupt and destroy Christian communities, according to multiple sources who spoke to Fox News Digital.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians in its count, is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The southern Philippines once drew small numbers of foreign militants aligned with the Islamic State group or al-Qaeda to train in a secessionist conflict involving minority Muslims in the largely Catholic nation.
—CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
Her second term was marred by the rise of Islamist militants and allegations of corruption.
—Reuters, NBC news, 30 Dec. 2025
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
In first half of that decade, Palestinian militants from Gaza and Sinai had killed 403 Israelis, including both civilians and soldiers.
—Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 8 Jan. 2026
The spate of kidnappings of Christians in north-central Nigeria by mostly Muslim Fulani militants is a deliberate tactic to target, bankrupt and destroy Christian communities, according to multiple sources who spoke to Fox News Digital.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians in its count, is staffed by medical professionals and maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by the international community.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
The southern Philippines once drew small numbers of foreign militants aligned with the Islamic State group or al-Qaeda to train in a secessionist conflict involving minority Muslims in the largely Catholic nation.
—CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
Her second term was marred by the rise of Islamist militants and allegations of corruption.
—Reuters, NBC news, 30 Dec. 2025
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
In first half of that decade, Palestinian militants from Gaza and Sinai had killed 403 Israelis, including both civilians and soldiers.
—Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for militants
Noun
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Reaching new voters Most Democrats accept Texas’ GOP tilt, saying their best chance lies in attracting more younger voters, disaffected nonvoters, teachers, service workers and soft partisans who often skip nonpresidential elections.—
Karen Brooks Harper,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The perception is that only like-minded DeSantis partisans, preferably with inside connections, need apply.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Throughout 2025, national organizing groups worked to build a network of hundreds of thousands of activists engaged in their communities and civic life.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Whistle blasts pierced the early January chill in a now-familiar community response employed by activists in US cities to alert neighbors to the presence of immigration officers.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For now, privacy crusaders are left to wait.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
31 Dec. 2025
-
From anti-porn crusaders to major Statehouse players Founded in the basement of College Hill Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati in 1983, CCV, then called Citizens for Community Values, was waging culture wars before they were even called culture wars.—
Victoria Moorwood,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
14 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Militants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/militants. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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