as in loyalists
a person who loves his or her country and supports its interests and policies
the contention that true patriots would be willing to do anything for their country
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Recent Examples of patriots
These immigration and customs enforcement officers are red-blooded American patriots doing a tough job to keep our nation safe.
—
Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 8 Jan. 2026
The lunatics who attacked the seat of government to try to change the outcome of a free and fair election are not patriots.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 6 Jan. 2026
At the core of this extremism is the dangerous view that the founders viewed aggrieved citizens who attack the government through armed violence as righteous patriots, rather than the enemies of the state.
—Douglas Letter, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
The J6ers were not insurrectionists, traitors, and miscreants but patriots, heroes, and innocents.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
The American patriots who showed up on January 6 were doing their duty as citizens to ensure the will of the people was exercised.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Another man, older by six years, argued with fellow patriots in a Hong Kong café.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Charlie was one of the greatest young patriots this country has ever seen.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Boston is the city where patriots rebelled against the English Crown and began the American Revolution.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
Isa Almeida, Oklahoman, 8 Jan. 2026
The lunatics who attacked the seat of government to try to change the outcome of a free and fair election are not patriots.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 6 Jan. 2026
At the core of this extremism is the dangerous view that the founders viewed aggrieved citizens who attack the government through armed violence as righteous patriots, rather than the enemies of the state.
—Douglas Letter, Time, 6 Jan. 2026
The J6ers were not insurrectionists, traitors, and miscreants but patriots, heroes, and innocents.
—Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
The American patriots who showed up on January 6 were doing their duty as citizens to ensure the will of the people was exercised.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Another man, older by six years, argued with fellow patriots in a Hong Kong café.
—Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Charlie was one of the greatest young patriots this country has ever seen.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Boston is the city where patriots rebelled against the English Crown and began the American Revolution.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patriots
Noun
-
The network began as recaps, but grew to also begin featuring commentary, interviews and community events for all sorts of reality TV loyalists.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
9 Jan. 2026
-
From 2019 to 2022, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan packed his country’s central bank with loyalists who dramatically cut interest rates even as prices were rising.—
Rogé Karma,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Right-wing nationalists may well secure power in some big and important European countries, a development driven partly by dismay about mass immigration, and partly by economic stagnation.—
Max Hastings,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
-
He’s marked as a dissident for responding with defiance to lesson plans mandated by federal authorities after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that teach youngsters to become Russian nationalists.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Patriots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patriots. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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