as in travelers
a person who travels to foreign lands
A wandering pilgrim, he made his way across Europe before eventually settling in Madrid.
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Recent Examples of pilgrims
Typically, thousands of pilgrims gather in the city for processions and prayers, but this year’s observances have been scaled back dramatically or canceled altogether.
—
Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 29 Mar. 2026
Fayez Dakkak, a third-generation Muslim storeowner in the Old City whose shop has catered to Christian pilgrims since 1942, said he was heartbroken over Al Aqsa's closure during the Islamic holy month.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
In 2017 alone, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for two bombings of churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday as well as the mass shooting of pilgrims traveling to a monastery in southern Egypt.
—Candace Lukasik, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
The history of religion, with its thousands of schisms and reformations, is full of pilgrims who, rather than discard their relationship with their sacred text, have found purpose, clarity, and community through defiance.
—Séamas O'Reilly, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
After the fall of Saddam Hussein’s government, Iraq’s Shiite holy sites in Karbala and Najaf reopened to international pilgrims.
—Jason Rezaian, New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2026
Many are used as shrines for meditation and rituals and are visited by tourists and pilgrims.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 24 Mar. 2026
As well as hosting a range of species, many of the caves are used as shrines, or for meditation and other rituals, and are visited by tourists and pilgrims, according to the report.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
All seven killed were Indian pilgrims, and seven other Indian pilgrims on board were injured and taken to hospitals.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 29 Mar. 2026
Fayez Dakkak, a third-generation Muslim storeowner in the Old City whose shop has catered to Christian pilgrims since 1942, said he was heartbroken over Al Aqsa's closure during the Islamic holy month.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
In 2017 alone, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for two bombings of churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday as well as the mass shooting of pilgrims traveling to a monastery in southern Egypt.
—Candace Lukasik, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2026
The history of religion, with its thousands of schisms and reformations, is full of pilgrims who, rather than discard their relationship with their sacred text, have found purpose, clarity, and community through defiance.
—Séamas O'Reilly, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
After the fall of Saddam Hussein’s government, Iraq’s Shiite holy sites in Karbala and Najaf reopened to international pilgrims.
—Jason Rezaian, New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2026
Many are used as shrines for meditation and rituals and are visited by tourists and pilgrims.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 24 Mar. 2026
As well as hosting a range of species, many of the caves are used as shrines, or for meditation and other rituals, and are visited by tourists and pilgrims, according to the report.
—Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
All seven killed were Indian pilgrims, and seven other Indian pilgrims on board were injured and taken to hospitals.
—Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pilgrims
Noun
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The top executive overseeing Houston's airport said security lines that have travelers waiting four hours or more could get longer if the political impasse was not soon settled.—
LISA MASCARO,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
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Customs and Border Protection also seized at least 18 devices from the travelers, including phones and laptops, CodePink staffers said.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Crews are asking boaters and visitors in the area to give dive teams and emergency vessels space to operate safely as the search continues.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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Belber said the event traditionally stimulates the local economy, bringing visitors into hotels, bars, restaurants and retail shops, not to mention the prestige of highlighting the city of Albany in a tournament that draws international broadcast viewers.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Compared to Italy’s more famous destinations, life here isn’t designed for spectacle or catering to tourists.—
Jenna Curcio,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
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That morning, India had launched a series of strikes inside Pakistan, under Operation Sindoor, after an attack on civilian tourists in Kashmir in April had left more than two dozen people dead.—
Taran Khan,
The Dial,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pilgrims.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pilgrims. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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