1
as in conservatives
a person whose political beliefs are centered on tradition and keeping things the way they are
reactionaries tried to stop the passage of the legislation extending civil rights
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fogeys
a person with old-fashioned ideas
a reactionary in the nation's ongoing culture war, she seems to believe that watching any TV at all will rot your brain
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reactionaries
Khomeini was simultaneously the agent of Communists and of reactionaries, the editorial charged.
—
Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reactionaries
Noun
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The owner of Butterworth’s, the hangout spot for young conservatives on Capitol Hill, agrees that crime is a major problem not only for businesses but for the public’s safety.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Sep. 2025
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Following intense backlash from conservatives, the graphic was removed, and the museum issued an apology.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The front office acquired a pair of veterans in free agency in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, along with nabbing Jaxson Dart on draft night.—
Kevin McCormick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
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Members of the Yurok Tribe waited on the sandbar to greet them, including 90-year-old Lavina Mattz Bowers and other veterans of the struggle to affirm the tribe's fishing rights.—
Debra Utacia Krol,
USA Today,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reactionaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reactionaries. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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