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
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The nihilistic attachment between its doomed lovers, Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, was too stormy and unruly for my tastes.—
Radhika Jones,
New Yorker,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Akil Davis, assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles FBI field office, said the number of nihilistic violent extremists targeting children is growing nationwide.—
Brittny Mejia,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But the fatalist in me feels like this stuff is coming.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The result is a movie where the jokes are just mean, and the meanness isn’t funny, leading to a cynical denouement that’s been done many times before.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
16 Mar. 2026
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Fit matters, especially in a place as cold and cynical as an NFL locker room.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
-
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
-
There was this kind of fatalistic view that there was not that much that could be done.—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
18 Dec. 2025
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
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Larijani, who was generally seen as a pragmatist in Iranian politics, served in several senior positions before becoming Iran’s top national security official.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
17 Mar. 2026
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The fact that Ellison may be more of a pragmatist than a Rupert Murdoch–style ideologue could serve some cold comfort to those at CNN who fear not only cuts but an editorial shift of the kind that has occurred at CBS News.—
Reeves Wiedeman,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nihilist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nihilist. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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