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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Dissimilar Words
as in guerrilla
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paramilitary
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
There, Marlon must cross the polluted waters of the festering Guanabara Bay in search of a former commander turned messianic cult leader to stop the spread of their paramilitary group.
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Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
Golshan Fathi, a woman living in Tehran, said the Basij paramilitary, which played a key role in the bloody crushing of mass protests last month, was showing a heavy presence in the streets of the capital.
—
Arkansas Online,
2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paramilitary
Adjective
At the time of his arrest, Ali Hemani, a dual citizen of the United States and Pakistan, was being monitored by the FBI because of his alleged connection to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
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Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
There, Marlon must cross the polluted waters of the festering Guanabara Bay in search of a former commander turned messianic cult leader to stop the spread of their paramilitary group.
—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
16 June 2026
Noun
And on the ground in Iran, there isn’t a single group or person or movement to whom these IRGC or other police or paramilitary could surrender.
—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
Golshan Fathi, a woman living in Tehran, said the Basij paramilitary, which played a key role in the bloody crushing of mass protests last month, was showing a heavy presence in the streets of the capital.
—
Arkansas Online,
2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paramilitary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paramilitary
Adjective
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Each incident remains under separate investigation by federal or military authorities, officials have said.
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Trump reiterated that military action remains on the table if Iran does not comply with their agreement.
Noun
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Fighting between rebel groups The election comes 10 years after Colombia signed a historic peace pact with guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, that had offered hope to break the nation’s vicious cycle of fighting between rebel groups and the government.
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Many rebel groups are offshoots of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which had been fighting to overthrow the government since the 1960s and had been the country's largest guerrilla organization.
Adjective
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The North Korean naval fleet has long been eclipsed by South Korean and United States naval forces, which field modern warships and submarines with sophisticated electronics and powerful missile launch capabilities.
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Tuesday called for a major expansion of the country's naval forces, suggesting the regime should build two large warships each year for the next five years.
Noun
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Mexico sent two Mexican Air Force transport planes carrying 261 personnel, including soldiers, air force members and National Guard troops, Reuters reported.
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National Guard soldiers and airmen will be tasked with crowd control, traffic management and security patrols.
Adjective
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The interim deal is meant to stop fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon where Israeli forces are battling the militant Hezbollah group.
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Despite an October ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas, the enclave has seen near-daily Israeli attacks that have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Noun
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Some galaxies, known as irregulars, don't fit neatly into either mold.
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The existence of the irregulars raises an important question: How small can a galaxy get?
Noun
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Blood drives like the one at the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America Michigan Chapter in Detroit aren't just increasing the general blood supply, but also the supply to treat those living with the disease, also known as warriors.
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Over the past decade, Osees have reinvented themselves as prog-metal warriors, hardcore agitators, and synth-punk freaks, investing each new permutation with the same degree of blitzkrieg aggression.
Noun
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The training brought together deputies, officers and troopers from agencies spanning rural communities across the state, including mountain towns and eastern plains communities.
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At least two people were transported to a hospital and six people died in the fire, troopers wrote.
Cite this Entry
“Paramilitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paramilitary. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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