as in nihilistic
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as in fatalist
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Recent Examples of nihilist
Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
New meme shows 'nihilist penguin' walking to a mountain.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026
Benjamin Voisin won Best Actor for his performance as the novel’s nihilist protagonist Meursault.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 18 Jan. 2026
There’s no nihilist energy in the song.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025
Curt Devine, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Sirāt was the only Neon contender to miss out on a Best Picture spot at the Globes (its noms came in Non-English Language and Score), adding to the feeling that this nihilist epic is the title most at risk of missing with Oscar.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
The activist Left is, in truth, nihilist.
—Ayaan Hirsi Ali, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Blood Meridian throws out the Western trope of good versus evil in favor of a nihilist view of a world consumed by violence.
—Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
New meme shows 'nihilist penguin' walking to a mountain.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 31 Jan. 2026
Benjamin Voisin won Best Actor for his performance as the novel’s nihilist protagonist Meursault.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 18 Jan. 2026
There’s no nihilist energy in the song.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
As criminal cases have increased against members of violent nihilist groups, related abuse reports have also risen.
—Curt Devine, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Sirāt was the only Neon contender to miss out on a Best Picture spot at the Globes (its noms came in Non-English Language and Score), adding to the feeling that this nihilist epic is the title most at risk of missing with Oscar.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
The activist Left is, in truth, nihilist.
—Ayaan Hirsi Ali, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nihilist
Adjective
-
In Say Nothing, published in 2019, Keefe effectively solves a decades-old cold case of a missing mother of 10 in Belfast, a killing that illustrates the nihilistic violence and human toll of the Troubles.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Lumalee, the nihilistic Luma from the first movie, makes her first appearance in the sequel here as their personal prison guard.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But the fatalist in me feels like this stuff is coming.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Like [being in] the worst possible circumstances without giving up, without becoming cynical, without putting your head in the sand.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
-
There, the naïve, bright-eyed woman moves in with a cynical, down-on-his-luck actor (Tituss Burgess), and the two push each other to look at the world in new ways.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The dollar amount was chosen arbitrarily based on what voters might accept, and some cynics saw it as a move by a pro-development commission to cozy up to environmentalists.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The move there, after four years in Washington and eight years as mayor of South Bend, drew sneers from cynics: The governorship and a Senate seat were opening up, and there was talk of Buttigieg’s running for one or the other.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Most people have a very fatalistic view of their age.—
Erin Allday,
San Francisco Chronicle,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Known for his spare, unforgiving style and darkly comic fatalistic sensibility, along with his penchant for leather jackets, lots of smoking and a deadpan sense of humor, Tarr was a quintessential arthouse filmmaker.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Curry is the ultimate realist and the ultimate dreamer.—
Sports Columnist,
San Francisco Chronicle,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Welch was not a rabid anti-communist, just a realist who wanted to protect Fisher by ensuring this past association would not be used against him.—
Kristen Monroe,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Mahan painted himself as a pragmatist who led San José to being named the safest large city in the nation, reducing homelessness by one-third and spurring the construction of housing by reducing regulatory restrictions and fees.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
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In Caracas, the US captured and arrested former President Nicolas Maduro, and a US-friendly pragmatist from within the government emerged to cut a deal.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nihilist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nihilist. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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