as in nihilistic
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as in fatalist
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Recent Examples of nihilist
Alice Xiang,
Time,
6 May 2026
Our impressively multicultural team of street racers now freelance in the shadowy and complex world of covert ops, jetting around the world to take down an increasingly unhinged array of nihilist supervillains.
—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
Shooter left notes, symbols, nihilist writings Investigators located the scene where the suspect sparked the fire to set his ambush.
—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
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
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
Advertisement Just as Nietzsche warned of the dangers of a nihilist moral void leading to societal decay, the current disregard for responsible data practices could erode trust in institutions and perpetuate systemic inequalities.
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Alice Xiang,
Time,
6 May 2026
Our impressively multicultural team of street racers now freelance in the shadowy and complex world of covert ops, jetting around the world to take down an increasingly unhinged array of nihilist supervillains.
—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
Shooter left notes, symbols, nihilist writings Investigators located the scene where the suspect sparked the fire to set his ambush.
—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
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
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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But there was this paradox in this basic idea that this menacing, nihilistic person [Nile Jarvis] actually infuses her with life.
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Investigators are continuing to build a picture of the two suspects in the deadly Monday shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego which killed three people, and which law enforcement officials say may have been driven by nihilistic and accelerationist extremism.
Noun
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But the fatalist in me feels like this stuff is coming.
Adjective
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Traditionally cynical and perceptive commentators—not to mention a lot of tired citizens—found themselves, in some accounts, overcome by an unexpected wave of patriotic sentimentality that washed away, at least for a moment, their gnawing doubts.
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Heston is at his most gleefully cynical as Robert Thorn, a police detective who lives and works in a New York City decimated by environmental deterioration and dwindling resources.
Noun
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Naturally, the cynics will want to naysay.
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And, though a lot of cynics will try to convince you otherwise, that’s perfectly OK.
Adjective
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By contrast, Whitehead was fatalistic.
-
Many, though, are fearful about what is to come at the World Cup — and fatalistic about the future.
Noun
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Any realist would tell you Ukraine would fall.
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The realist recognizes this series has had two games that were toss-ups and one where the Knicks were just better, longer.
Noun
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In embracing a rapprochement with the United States under President Obama, Raúl Castro, long seen as an ideologue by Cubanologists, played the hand of a pragmatist.
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In office he's been a pragmatist and some of his doubters are now key allies on some issues, including Democratic Governor Hochul, who is a partner in his push for universal childcare and now this new tax levied on the most wealthy part-time residents of New York City.
Cite this Entry
“Nihilist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nihilist. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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