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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Recent Examples of militants
Earlier this month, Amnesty International accused the military of killing 100 civilians at a market while targeting militants.
—
ABC News, 18 May 2026
The ministry, part of Gaza’s Hamas-run government, does not give a breakdown between civilians and militants.
—Suzan Fraser, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
For much of the last quarter century, Beijing has considered all Uyghur militants abroad as terrorists and has repeatedly accused Uyghur movements of inspiring or instructing thousands of terrorist attacks, some deadly, inside China over a three-decade period.
—Emily Feng, NPR, 17 May 2026
Hamas has previously denied that its militants committed rape during the October 7 attack.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
The primary objectives to reach that goal include the total removal of Hamas militants from the region, the decommissioning of weapons, and de-radicalization of the Palestinian population.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 8 May 2026
Israel says its strikes are aimed at thwarting attempts by Hamas and other Palestinian militants to stage attacks against its forces.
—Reuters, NBC news, 7 May 2026
The Assad family, members of the sect, ruled Syria for over half a century until Bashar was ousted in December by Sunni Islamist militants who sought to reshape the country’s political and sectarian order.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 10 Mar. 2025
Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
—Nidal Al-Mughrabi, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2025
ABC News, 18 May 2026
The ministry, part of Gaza’s Hamas-run government, does not give a breakdown between civilians and militants.
—Suzan Fraser, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
For much of the last quarter century, Beijing has considered all Uyghur militants abroad as terrorists and has repeatedly accused Uyghur movements of inspiring or instructing thousands of terrorist attacks, some deadly, inside China over a three-decade period.
—Emily Feng, NPR, 17 May 2026
Hamas has previously denied that its militants committed rape during the October 7 attack.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
The primary objectives to reach that goal include the total removal of Hamas militants from the region, the decommissioning of weapons, and de-radicalization of the Palestinian population.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 8 May 2026
Israel says its strikes are aimed at thwarting attempts by Hamas and other Palestinian militants to stage attacks against its forces.
—Reuters, NBC news, 7 May 2026
The Assad family, members of the sect, ruled Syria for over half a century until Bashar was ousted in December by Sunni Islamist militants who sought to reshape the country’s political and sectarian order.
—Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 10 Mar. 2025
Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
—Nidal Al-Mughrabi, USA TODAY, 10 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for militants
Noun
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The unprecedented corruption and self-dealing in the White House and the President’s family go entirely without oversight by partisans who once complained about Hunter Biden.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
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This rhetoric is not just the thoughtless ramblings of mindless partisans.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This, of course, was Pussy Riot, the performance artists and anti–Vladimir Putin activists who, since 2012, have disrupted a World Cup final, a Winter Olympics, and—most famous and at great cost—a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow.—
Sebastian Smee,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
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Prominent pro-trans activists criticized the move.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Noun
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Since then, graduates have heard from prime ministers, presidents, Supreme Court justices, movie stars, civil-rights crusaders, and Taylor Swift.—
Jonathan Haidt,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
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Anti-porn crusaders of all ilks also hijacked the news of Radvinsky’s passing for their various pro-censorship agendas.—
Gustavo Turner,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Militants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/militants. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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