as in pacifist
a person who opposes war or warlike policies
peaceniks argued that all the nonmilitary options had not been exhausted
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Recent Examples of peacenik
And yet, from the ACLU to the Washington Post and the New York Times, the institutional guardians of the Left made a concerted effort to cede those causes to the mosh posh of crunchy anti-war peaceniks, classical conservatives, frat bros, and ordinary Americans who make up MAGA.
—
Tiana Lowe Doescher, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
For Israel—where the country's once vibrant peacenik community has rapidly dissolved since Oct. 7—the killing of the Bibas boys is likely the nail in the coffin.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025
Burdick, a lifelong peacenik with a neat white beard, had moved to Saudi Arabia from Texas in the mid-nineties.
—Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
Kelly is in almost immediately, flying to Cocoa Beach in Florida with her not-so-enthusiastic assistant, an anti-Nixon peacenik.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 8 July 2024
At this point, John Lennon is either a peacenik saint or a wife-beating villain in the eyes of most.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2024
This Einstein is a fervent peacenik who saw in Nazi Germany an existential threat to peace everywhere, and to Jewish people in particular.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2024
That’s the debate between hawkish military officers, embodied by Devid Striesow, and more pragmatic politicians trying to negotiate an armistice, including the real-life character of Matthias Erzberger (Daniel Brühl), here portrayed as a peacenik motivated by the death of his son.
—Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2022
Age peacenik attitude of Posdnous and Trugoy’s lyrics.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 16 Feb. 2023
Tiana Lowe Doescher, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
For Israel—where the country's once vibrant peacenik community has rapidly dissolved since Oct. 7—the killing of the Bibas boys is likely the nail in the coffin.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025
Burdick, a lifelong peacenik with a neat white beard, had moved to Saudi Arabia from Texas in the mid-nineties.
—Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
Kelly is in almost immediately, flying to Cocoa Beach in Florida with her not-so-enthusiastic assistant, an anti-Nixon peacenik.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 8 July 2024
At this point, John Lennon is either a peacenik saint or a wife-beating villain in the eyes of most.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 20 Feb. 2024
This Einstein is a fervent peacenik who saw in Nazi Germany an existential threat to peace everywhere, and to Jewish people in particular.
—Chris Vognar, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2024
That’s the debate between hawkish military officers, embodied by Devid Striesow, and more pragmatic politicians trying to negotiate an armistice, including the real-life character of Matthias Erzberger (Daniel Brühl), here portrayed as a peacenik motivated by the death of his son.
—Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2022
Age peacenik attitude of Posdnous and Trugoy’s lyrics.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 16 Feb. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for peacenik
pacifist
Noun
-
American pacifists and civil rights activists A. J. Muste and Bayard Rustin were part of that group.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
2 June 2025
-
Bloomsbury included pacifists, conscientious objectors, soldiers, and agents of empire.—
Jenny Noyce,
JSTOR Daily,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Peacenik.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/peacenik. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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