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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in veterans
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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Recent Examples of reactionaries
Yes, the movie’s reactionaries are ridiculous, never more so than when Penn’s comic-book antagonist is onscreen.
—
Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
When Atsu was first revealed as the game’s protagonist, reactionaries jumped to disavow the sequel, citing bad-faith reasoning that failed to hide their prejudices.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
The Dreyfusards, his defenders, were largely liberal supporters of the secular, democratic Republic; the anti-Dreyfusards were mostly Roman Catholic reactionaries who despised everything the modern state represented.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025
When Atsu was first revealed as the game’s protagonist, reactionaries jumped to disavow the sequel, citing bad-faith reasoning that failed to hide their prejudices.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
The Dreyfusards, his defenders, were largely liberal supporters of the secular, democratic Republic; the anti-Dreyfusards were mostly Roman Catholic reactionaries who despised everything the modern state represented.
—Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reactionaries
Noun
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Although conservatives have a supermajority on the Supreme Court and control the other two branches of the federal government, the questions focused not on their successes but on how to deal with feeling under siege.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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In addition to anger over the way Israel has conducted its war in Gaza, Mills says many conservatives want America to avoid becoming entangled in new wars, particularly in the Middle East.—
Geoff Brumfiel,
NPR,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The first Black cemetery in Tarrant County, home to the remains of more than 500 veterans, was rededicated on Veterans Day after a months-long restoration effort.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Nov. 2025
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The poppy became such a recognizable symbol for remembrance observances that veterans’ groups started selling paper replicas of the flowers to raise money for veterans’ causes.—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
12 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reactionaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reactionaries. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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