as in fanatic
a person who has very strong ideas about what is correct or acceptable and who usually opposes changes to traditional methods and practices
a new style of play that offended the sport's purists a language purist who is always looking to correct the speech of others
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Recent Examples of purist
But some unintentional purists, like Mays, remain on the hairy fringe.
—
Noah White, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
Back then, purists grumbled that the modern reinterpretation of the British classic departed from the rough and tumble identity of Defenders past.
—John Scott Lewinski, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2026
The angry purists shrieked their response, rattling their Converse sneakers in their fists, to remind everyone that trades and free agents aren’t part of college basketball.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
However, some purists believe that glass mirrors reflect light significantly better.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purist
Noah White, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2026
Back then, purists grumbled that the modern reinterpretation of the British classic departed from the rough and tumble identity of Defenders past.
—John Scott Lewinski, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2026
The angry purists shrieked their response, rattling their Converse sneakers in their fists, to remind everyone that trades and free agents aren’t part of college basketball.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
However, some purists believe that glass mirrors reflect light significantly better.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purist
Noun
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Consider, Trump is the only world leader, Pope XIV included, who not only vowed to prohibit the apocalyptic fanatics in Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, but did something about it.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
18 Apr. 2026
-
And for the aviation fanatic, ice cream stick planes never made the cut.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The nationalist’s election defeat is extending a historic rally in Hungary’s bond market as Magyar dangles the prospect of euro adoption.—
Jonathan Tirone,
Bloomberg,
16 Apr. 2026
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Nossiter said Guinea is also sensitive to the possibility that the pilots’ case could get amplified publicly by anti-Western nationalists in the country who might frame it as a sovereignty violation at a moment when Conakry is already wary of internal dissent.—
Adrian Elimian,
semafor.com,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purist. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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