POPULIST Synonyms: 8 Similar and Opposite Words

populist

noun

Definition of populist next

as in socialist

Related Words

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Dissimilar Words

snob
snoot

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 populist Kikuyu Land also covers the current political chaos in the country, as Kenyan president William Ruto, a former populist, has become widely criticized and has turned increasingly authoritarian. —

Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 20 Jan. 2026 The rise of the populist far right is not just an American political phenomenon, after all. —

Matthias Matthijs, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025 Also in the running is centrist-liberal Salvador Nasralla, a populist of the Liberal Party. —

Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025 Apocalypse in the Tropics, directed by Petra Costa, shows how the rise of Christian nationalism in Brazil helped propel Bolsonaro, a far-right populist, to the presidency in 2019 after evangelicals leading the movement fastened onto him as their preferred candidate. —

Matthew Carey, Deadline, 23 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for populist

Recent Examples of Synonyms for populist

socialist

Noun

Democrats are both fighting to take back control of the House while progressives and socialists are also pushing for more control in Congress.

— Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026
The socialist seems to be walking back a campaign promise to expand the city’s billion-dollar rental voucher program.

— Editorial Board, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2026