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 Saudis countered with an air campaign and ground force composed of Yemeni pro-government paramilitary factions, Saudi and Emirati troops and mercenaries. — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 These people, including Mohsen Rezaei, the national security adviser, and Hossein Taeb, the commander of Iran’s main domestic paramilitary forces, think deterring further attacks requires a decisive, aggressive response to any provocations. — Narges Bajoghli, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2026
Noun
Among them was the late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, creating a power vacuum largely filled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a powerful paramilitary, political and economic group. — Alexander Smith, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026 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 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
  • Many inside the administration are skeptical about resuming military operations against Iran.
    — Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 29 Oct. 2026
  • More than 100 people were killed and 113 others were wounded on Monday in a Sudanese military drone strike on a busy market in Nyala, the capital of the South Darfur province, said Emergency Lawyers, a rights group tracking violence.
    — YASSIR ABDALLA, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of military
Noun
  • In 1981 Menchú fled to Mexico after her family was killed—her father was accused of guerrilla activities and died in a fire while protesting, her brother was kidnapped, tortured, and killed, and her mother was kidnapped, raped, and mutilated.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Another item removed was a campaign poster of Carlos Pizarro, a former leader of the M-19, a guerrilla movement that signed a peace agreement with the government in March 1989, in which its leaders were pardoned for kidnappings and other war crimes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of guerrilla
Adjective
  • Iran's Revolutionary Guard said Friday that a supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of oil struck a naval mine, exploded and caught fire while using an unauthorized route in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The development also signals a broader transformation in naval warfare, where unmanned systems are increasingly becoming an important component of military planning.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of naval
Noun
  • Tensions between the two Koreas have been high since mine blasts at their border last month wounded three South Korean soldiers.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Haitian police officers have complained that the foreign soldiers are reluctant to confront gangs or hold territory taken back from gangs.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of soldier
Adjective
  • The ministry described the confrontation as an assault on militant positions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • More than 1,550 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by the Israeli military since the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas began in October 2025, according to the territory's health ministry.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 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
  • There, female leaders such as Queen Mother Ramonda, played by Angela Bassett, and her daughter Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) are not only leaders but also warriors.
    — Christine Ledbetter, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Or would Azriel instead mate with Gwyn, the traumatized priestess turned badass Valkyrie warrior whose early experience of violence echoes Azriel’s own?
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of warrior
Noun
  • Looser, more dangerous In contrast, FHP’s new policy gives troopers great leeway.
    — Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Oklahoma's Highway Patrol signed all of its troopers on to 287(g), giving their officers the power to stop a driver and potentially make an immigration arrest on state highways.
    — Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 28 Oct. 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 1 Nov. 2026.

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