as in revolutionaries
a person who favors rapid and sweeping changes especially in laws and methods of government
radicals staged large, violent protests in the hopes of toppling the government
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Recent Examples of radicals
Then the Department of Justice ordered federal prosecutors and the FBI to investigate Good’s family for ties to left-wing radicals, leading several prosecutors to resign.
—
The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
The problem is the unhinged reaction to ICE’s presence by leftist radicals who have a lot in common with your average anarchist.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 22 Jan. 2026
Code Pink is a bunch of insane radicals and someone could have gotten hurt.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Jan. 2026
But a tragedy that falls on this woman and all of the radicals who teach people that immigration is the one type of law that rioters are allowed to interfere with.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
In the wake of an ICE shooting that killed a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday, academics have joined the chorus of left-wing radicals seeking to abolish the federal law enforcement agency.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
But a tragedy that falls on this woman and all of the radicals who teach people that immigration is the one type of law that rioters are allowed to interfere with.
—Greta Bjornson, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
People — including real-life radicals — are messy.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025
At a molecular level, the simulations showed that UV light causes water molecules to break apart, forming hydronium ions, hydroxyl radicals, and free electrons.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Nov. 2025
The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
The problem is the unhinged reaction to ICE’s presence by leftist radicals who have a lot in common with your average anarchist.
—Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 22 Jan. 2026
Code Pink is a bunch of insane radicals and someone could have gotten hurt.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Jan. 2026
But a tragedy that falls on this woman and all of the radicals who teach people that immigration is the one type of law that rioters are allowed to interfere with.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 9 Jan. 2026
In the wake of an ICE shooting that killed a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday, academics have joined the chorus of left-wing radicals seeking to abolish the federal law enforcement agency.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 8 Jan. 2026
But a tragedy that falls on this woman and all of the radicals who teach people that immigration is the one type of law that rioters are allowed to interfere with.
—Greta Bjornson, PEOPLE, 8 Jan. 2026
People — including real-life radicals — are messy.
—Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 24 Nov. 2025
At a molecular level, the simulations showed that UV light causes water molecules to break apart, forming hydronium ions, hydroxyl radicals, and free electrons.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for radicals
Noun
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Quarters honoring national heroes from the abolitionist, suffragette and civil rights eras have been scrapped and will be replaced by the nation's early White pioneers and revolutionaries.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
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All three play key roles in the library scene—in which Walker’s revolutionaries, seeking justice for a racial atrocity, hold Morgan’s collection hostage—but none had visited the real thing, on Thirty-sixth Street.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Voters in primary elections may nominate extremists to run in the general election, leaving independents no choice but to vote for the lesser of two evils or to abstain from voting for either.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
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Republicans pounced on the opportunity to paint Democrats, especially those in vulnerable seats, as extremists.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Radicals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/radicals. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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