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
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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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The state assemblymember has been celebrated by many young progressives as well as endorsed by top Democrats, while criticized by conservatives and some moderates concerned about what the city would look like under his leadership.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
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The videos align with conservatives’ push to teach a positive view of America’s past and with the state’s rules on teaching about race and gender.—
Jennifer Smith Richards,
ProPublica,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Related Stories Obscured Releasing was co-founded by indie veterans RJ Millard and Bill Guentzler.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
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The honor came in recognition of their leadership in reinvigorating the affinity group, which was first founded in 2010 by footwear veterans Carol Baiocchi and Diane Sullivan and relaunched in 2023.—
Stephen Garner,
Footwear News,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Reactionaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reactionaries. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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