PARTISANS Synonyms: 117 Similar and Opposite Words

partisans

noun

variants also partizans

plural of partisan

as in adherents

one who follows the opinions or teachings of another partisans of the charismatic leader refuse to tolerate any criticism of him at all

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in militants

one who is intensely or excessively devoted to a cause a partisan of the revolution who was even willing to give her life for it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in sectarians

one who stubbornly or intolerantly adheres to his or her own opinions and prejudices she's too much of a political partisan to ever concede that the other side might have a valid point

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 partisans Reynolds tracks the willingness of northern partisans—Carl Schurz, Horace Greeley, Lyman Trumbull, and even Sumner himself—to abandon that cause by the dwindling references to Jamestown and Plymouth. — James Traub, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 Meanwhile, partisans continued to spar over dozens of Republican bills that would allow voters to lower property taxes for homeowners by raising sales taxes on everyone. — David Wickert, AJC.com, 23 June 2026 The mood was jovial, and any banter between the English and Croatian partisans was playful. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 June 2026 His lone goal delighted the Swiss partisans, who were banished to the second level of the stadium. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 13 June 2026 The mood this time was understandably less buoyant among the Knicks partisans. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 9 June 2026 But there's also a dynamic here where the partisans on each side justify themselves by looking at the bad examples on the other side. — ABC News, 7 June 2026 With a large pack of Democrats running and just two serious Republican contenders, Democratic partisans feared their fractured vote would let the GOP nab both spots in Tuesday’s top-two primary. — Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026 Tribalism renders too many partisans unable to think ahead more than one election. — Washington Post Editorial Board, Twin Cities, 29 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for partisans

Noun

Baric worked closely with researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which many adherents to the lab-leak theory posit as the source of the pandemic; one contingent thinks that Baric might have been the creator of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

— Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Many liberals had been disciplined to adopt methods that purported to strictly confine legal interpretation, only to discover that their most prominent adherents, whether covertly or unconsciously, had other plans.

— Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 2 July 2026

Definition of adherents

Noun

The country is also home to several minority groups that have clashed with regime forces in the past, including Kurdish militants, Arab and Baloch separatists, among others.

— Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
Since overthrowing the Assad dynasty and taking power in a lightning insurgency in December 2024, Syria’s new rulers have cracked down on militants from the extremist Islamic State group in an attempt to thwart attacks in and around the capital.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026

Definition of militants

Noun

For midcentury fanatics, look to Design Within Reach this week for up to 30% off thousands of icons, including these Rey dining chairs.

— Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 1 July 2026
Together, the band brings to life a mythic world of ancient heroes and villains, attracting an excited audience of headbangers and fantasy fanatics, many of whom show up in costume.

— Steve Appleford, SPIN, 29 June 2026

Definition of fanatics

Noun

Throughout the journey, Pfendler documented life alone at sea for hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, sharing the physical and mental challenges of crossing one of the world's largest oceans.

— Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
His gift for lyrics that were both deeply humane and sharply critical has endured for generations, inspiring followers such as Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.

— Steve Appleford, Rolling Stone, 4 July 2026

Definition of followers

Noun

In recent years, thanks to the work of scholars, artists, and local activists, public awareness of the violence of 1898 has increased.

— Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 3 July 2026
Soon after Kushner announced his project, environmental activists began objecting to its potential ecological implications.

— Max Grinstein, The Washington Examiner, 3 July 2026

Definition of activists

Noun

For Thai nationalists, any compromise on the maritime line looks like a concession to Phnom Penh at a moment when compromise is politically toxic.

— Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
In more recent years, the culture wars waged by India’s ruling Hindu nationalists have complicated the image of Tipu and his father, who some now have recast as bloodthirsty Muslim warlords rather than icons of national resistance.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 2 July 2026

Definition of nationalists

Noun

Back in his coaching career, Cruyff was one of the first managers to be obsessed with the cut of the pitch — a trait that has passed over to his disciples, most notably the exacting Pep Guardiola.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 25 June 2026
Christian Science teaches that the divine laws of Truth and Life, as demonstrated by Jesus and his disciples, continue to operate today as an eternal, demonstrable Science.

— Alistair Budd, Christian Science Monitor, 24 June 2026

Definition of disciples

Noun

The book is full of stories of villains, like the venomous heroin that took so many of Seattle’s crusaders as well as the music industry that never quite understood where Soundgarden belonged.

— Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 9 June 2026
The facility remains popular among anti-immigrant crusaders, and Attorney General Uthmeier’s campaign store sells Alligator Alcatraz bumper stickers, T-shirts, and caps.

— Eric Schlosser, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026

Definition of crusaders

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“Partisans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/partisans. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of partisans

noun

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