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
Radicals such as Sumner also warned, presciently, that the Fifteenth Amendment did not go far enough, and that its flaws would ultimately allow anti-Black reactionaries to undermine its purpose.
—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
19 May 2026
Like Curtis Yarvin and other neo-reactionaries, Land abhors democracy.
—
James Duesterberg,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 2026
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
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
19 May 2026
Like Curtis Yarvin and other neo-reactionaries, Land abhors democracy.
—
James Duesterberg,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reactionaries
Noun
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For The Times) The Supreme Court upheld states’ ability to count mail ballots postmarked by election day but arriving later, which conservatives have argued slows vote counting but liberals defend as expanding voter access.
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Giving the president more direct control over who serves on those bodies has long been a goal of conservatives, who have objected to unelected bureaucrats wielding too much power with little accountability.
Noun
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Players are expected to commit themselves to a franchise, while teams frequently reward veterans with contractual stability.
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The Portage home was gifted to Shawn and Rosa and their four daughters through Homes for Heroes, which helps veterans and first responders.
Cite this Entry
“Reactionaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reactionaries. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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