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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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paramilitary
Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
The 56-year-old has close ties to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), signaling a continuation of his father's hard-line theocratic rule.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 9 Mar. 2026
semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026
The term paramilitary is commonly used in two ways.
—Erica De Bruin, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paramilitary
Adjective
Khamenei is close to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and is widely seen as even less compromising than his father.
—Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026
The 56-year-old has close ties to Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), signaling a continuation of his father's hard-line theocratic rule.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 9 Mar. 2026
Noun
Experts have warned that the war will continue so long as foreign powers — namely the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt — continue backing and funding the belligerents, including a paramilitary accused of perpetrating a genocide.
—semafor.com, 25 Feb. 2026
The term paramilitary is commonly used in two ways.
—Erica De Bruin, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for paramilitary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paramilitary
Adjective
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Israel and Hezbollah did agree to a ceasefire in November 2024, which called for Israel to stop its military campaign and to remove their ground forces in southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah to willingly move all of its personnel and military equipment north of the Litani River.—
Mike Brest,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Mar. 2026
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Foundation unveiled the Phantom Mk-I in October 2025, describing it as a humanoid robot designed specifically for military use.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Konrad, 24, drifts between Berlin’s techno clubs and a slow self-destruction until summoned to identify a body that may be his mother’s – a German internationalist guerrilla fighter who abandoned him when a child.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
9 Mar. 2026
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The guerrillas agreed to lay down their weapons, face justice, and compensate their victims in exchange for political guarantees and government promises to develop poor, rural areas that gave rise to the FARC in the 1960s.—
John Otis,
NPR,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC confirm damage to other Iranian naval bases.—
Ramon Padilla,
USA Today,
11 Mar. 2026
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While Iran’s mine stock isn’t publicly known, estimates over the years have ranged from roughly 2,000 to 6,000 naval mines, the report said.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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My group watched two sets of soldiers march in, twirl their guns, click their heels, and then retreat out of sight.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said a French soldier was killed in an attack targeting Irbil in Iraq's northern Kurdish region.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban government of harboring Pakistani militant groups -- mainly the Pakistani Taliban -- that cross the porous volatile border between the two countries to stage attacks against Pakistani forces and also of allying with its archrival, India.—
MUNIR AHMED,
Arkansas Online,
15 Mar. 2026
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Among the most prominent Islamic militant groups are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, which is affiliated with the Islamic State group and known as Islamic State West Africa Province.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Some galaxies, known as irregulars, don't fit neatly into either mold.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
29 Sep. 2025
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The existence of the irregulars raises an important question: How small can a galaxy get?—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
8 May 2025
Noun
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There, rising from fugitive to fearless warrior, the princess unites warring tribes for a final stand in the Battle of Dhi Qar, a clash that will change history forever.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
12 Mar. 2026
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In recent years, Tehran’s digital warriors have impersonated American activists online to covertly encourage protests against Israel on college campuses.—
David Klepper,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The trooper quickly inspected Krishnamoorthi’s congressional identification and told them to drive the rest of the way under the speed limit, the driver said.—
Dan Petrella,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Mar. 2026
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Inside Resecker's truck, Texas Highway Patrol troopers found THC wax and marijuana.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paramilitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paramilitary. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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