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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Dissimilar Words

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 new president has pledged to intensify military operations and air strikes against guerrilla, drug-trafficking and paramilitary groups, while ending peace negotiations begun under his predecessor, leftist President Gustavo Petro. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 10 Aug. 2026 Sudan has been mired in a brutal civil between government forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for more than three years. — Kate Bartlett, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026
Noun
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 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
  1. military
  2. guerrilla
  3. naval
  4. soldier
  5. militant
  6. irregular
  7. warrior
  8. trooper
Adjective
  • Fedorov, a popular minister credited with modernizing Ukraine’s armed forces and accelerating the military’s embrace of technology and drone warfare, was dismissed last month after reportedly falling out with the country’s top military commander.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Russia’s military industries may be capable of building about 1,300 ballistic missiles a year, Zelensky said.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of military
Noun
  • But Bernard’s move is a gambit, meant to create a distraction while the Mechanical guerrillas set off dynamite charges in the mines, for reasons as yet unrevealed.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • There may be as many as 200,000 in this army, waiting for orders to launch a guerrilla war.
    — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of guerrilla
Adjective
  • Nearly six months into the war with the United States and Israel, Iran's economy is suffering under sanctions and a naval blockade.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
  • But China’s rapid naval expansion has nevertheless set alarm bells ringing in Washington.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of naval
Noun
  • Perhaps a soldier took his last breath beneath its canopy, watering its roots with his blood.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • In one such surprise visit in December 2017, Assad was physically blocked by a Russian soldier from following the Russian leader in a degrading reminder of who was boss in that relationship.
    — Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of soldier
Adjective
  • Abductions are common in Nigeria, where militant groups target schoolchildren and other civilians to put pressure on the government and extract ransoms.
    — Dyepkazah Shibayan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The strikes came after Israel blamed the militant Hezbollah group for firing two explosive drones.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 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
  • The franchise’s iconic theme song is starting to play, the loud warrior drums about to give way to that ubiquitous melody.
    — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The vast majority of the changes needed both for acquiring new talent and retaining tech warriors are within the Pentagon’s control.
    — Doug Beck, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of warrior
Noun
  • An Illinois State Police trooper found her car, a 1985 white Pontiac T1000, and marked it as abandoned.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Some of the most difficult positions to fill have been state troopers, correction officers in the prisons, and nurses in psychiatric hospitals.
    — Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of trooper

Browse Nearby Words

paramilitaries
paramilitary
paramount
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Cite this Entry

“Paramilitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paramilitary. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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