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 Al-Nuzaili claimed that dozens of Houthi militants had been killed or wounded. — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026 Figures like Ben-Gvir have become more popular among Israelis since Hamas’ brutal attack in 2023, when the militants killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostage. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 The talks aim to salvage the plan for Hamas militants to disarm and Israel to withdraw from the Palestinian territory shattered by war. — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026 Boko Haram militants in Nigeria are using (mostly closed) AI to plan attacks and gain tactical advantages, The New York Times reported. — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 9 Aug. 2026 That standoff lasted 41 days, ending with the arrest of the militants and the death of one, rancher Robert LaVoy Finicum, who was shot by law enforcement. — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Zaidi was supposed to visit Riyadh in late July, but the trip was canceled due to the strikes, which killed 20 militants, including five Iranians, on July 29. — Mark Osborne, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, the war in Afghanistan spilled into Pakistan, where the United States carried out hundreds of drone strikes against militants attacking American troops across the border. — Michael Fuchs, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2026 After a nine-month pause, Houthi militants in Yemen allied to Iran resumed attacks on vessels in the Red Sea on July 22, 2026, directly targeting the group’s longtime foe Saudi Arabia. — Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for militants
  1. partisans
  2. activists
  3. crusaders
Noun
  • Such traits help elevate interactions with the natural world – and might do the same among neighbors, colleagues, and even political partisans.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Our research also found that stronger partisans are more susceptible to this tactic.
    — Andrew Moshirnia, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of partisans
Noun
  • As residents, activists, farmers and journalists squeezed and jostled through the crowd, holding court in one corner was Budd-Falen, the high-ranking official with the Interior Department.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The fatal crash has led city leaders and animal rights activists to take a new look at ridding New York of carriage horses.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 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 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of militants for Spanish Speakers

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