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paramilitary 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of paramilitarynext
as in military
of or relating to a group that is not an official army but that operates and is organized like an army Government forces have been attacked by heavily armed paramilitary groups in several villages. a paramilitary police force

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paramilitary

2 of 2

noun

as in guerrilla

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Dissimilar Words

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 paramilitary
Adjective
The 2023 mutiny by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner paramilitary company, led not to revolution but to his own untimely death. — Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2026 Also known by its Spanish acronym AGC, the group evolved from right-wing paramilitary squads that fought Marxist guerrillas in Colombia in the 1990s and 2000s. — Maria Verza, Chicago Tribune, 10 Sep. 2026
Noun
Advertisement When Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, then the relatively unknown mayor of Tehran, was propelled to the presidency in 2005, Mojtaba Khamenei was thought to have orchestrated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Basij paramilitary’s support for his candidacy. — Kay Armin Serjoie, Time, 9 Mar. 2026 A number of police stations, locations related to the security forces — including the Basij paramilitary — and intelligence facilities across Tehran have been targeted by airstrikes, CBS News producer in Tehran, Seyed Bathei, reports. — CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for paramilitary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paramilitary
  1. military
  2. guerrilla
  3. naval
  4. soldier
  5. militant
  6. irregular
  7. warrior
  8. trooper
Adjective
  • The White House is describing the pomp and circumstance of the three-day visit, including a military review, formal state dinner, and multiple meetings and sit-downs, as a demonstration of respect.
    — Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 24 Sep. 2026
  • His address last year came months after the 12-day Israel-Iran war that saw the assassination of many of the Islamic Republic's highest military and political leaders and once again broke down weeks of negotiations with the United States.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of military
Noun
  • The atrocities committed in Chile were similar to those in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and Central America, where leftist movements and guerrillas were squashed with incredible brutality.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Other people allegedly taken into custody were never seen alive again, including palace cafeteria employees and Irma Franco, an M-19 guerrilla captured during the operation.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of guerrilla
Adjective
  • Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume nuclear talks within seven days if the United States lifts its naval blockade, eases oil sanctions and observes a Lebanon ceasefire.
    — Cara Anna, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Unlike major naval powers, Indonesia will use the vessel as a mobile command and support hub for helicopters, drones and maritime operations across the archipelago.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of naval
Noun
  • Amid the jubilation of the liberation, there is a darker side, as women who fraternized with German soldiers are tracked down and brutally publicly shamed.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026
  • More than 500 soldiers and 600 police officers were deployed, according to the Colombian presidency.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of soldier
Adjective
  • The conflicting statements came just days after Pakistani fighter jets struck sites in eastern Afghanistan that Islamabad said were militant hideouts, an escalation between Kabul and Islamabad that threatens mediation efforts by regional powers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Pakistan often accuses Kabul of sheltering the TTP and turning a blind eye to cross-border militant attacks.
    — Riaz Khan, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of militant
Noun
  • Setting off in pursuit was José María Zuloaga, a taciturn lieutenant colonel in the Mexican army supported by a band of irregulars.
    — Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Some galaxies, known as irregulars, don't fit neatly into either mold.
    — Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Definition of irregular
Noun
  • Here the focus was not nationalism but a spiritual discipline that supposedly allowed warriors to accept death with equanimity.
    — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 22 Sep. 2026
  • No stranger to controversy or criticism, Sweeney, 29, faced the music from Olympic athletes, entertainment icons and millions of keyboard warriors who voiced their opinions of the naked ad.
    — Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of warrior
Noun
  • After conducting a traffic stop, troopers determined that the vehicle was not registered.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Stein previously ordered flags lowered to half-staff for a state trooper killed in a crash and after a state representative died from cancer, The N&O reported.
    — Anna Roman, Charlotte Observer, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of trooper

Browse Nearby Words

paramilitaries
paramilitary
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Cite this Entry

“Paramilitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paramilitary. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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