as in conservative
tending to favor established ideas, conditions, or institutions
reactionary guardians of proper English usage invariably regard every new coinage that comes along as a nonword
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in rightist
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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2
as in veteran
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reactionary
Georgia Casey, Allure, 6 Feb. 2026
Vytas, now staying with his growingly reactionary parents, makes a more concerted effort to join the resistance movement, staging public performance-art protests, volunteering at a food bank, and attempting to cut off his folks’ access to Russian propaganda on satellite TV.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
James Duesterberg, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
In middle age, some sports fans become reactionaries.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reactionary
Adjective
But in most people, facial bloating and undereye puffiness are usually just reactionary.
—Georgia Casey, Allure, 6 Feb. 2026
Vytas, now staying with his growingly reactionary parents, makes a more concerted effort to join the resistance movement, staging public performance-art protests, volunteering at a food bank, and attempting to cut off his folks’ access to Russian propaganda on satellite TV.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 1 Feb. 2026
Noun
Like Curtis Yarvin and other neo-reactionaries, Land abhors democracy.
—James Duesterberg, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026
In middle age, some sports fans become reactionaries.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reactionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reactionary
Adjective
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The couple raised Christian and his two brothers in Haan, a small, conservative town.—
Holden Seidlitz,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
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While Gruev has been dependable, swapping him in for a striker like Nmecha is, surely, too conservative.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Alexander, a 31-year-old TCU product, is a seven-year big league veteran who signed with his hometown team this winter.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Mar. 2026
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After a catastrophic debris strike destroys their shuttle during a spacewalk, Sandra Bullock’s astronaut is left untethered, spinning silently against the vastness of space, while George Clooney’s veteran astronaut tries to guide her from a distance.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Ken Heinz Hedge Fund Research That breakdown in traditional relationships reflects the unusual nature of the current shock, said industry veterans.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
18 Mar. 2026
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Meals are usually served with corn or flour tortillas warmed in a traditional Oaxacan clay oven alongside a flight of salsas made from the 12 different types of chili peppers grown on the property.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The orthodox Jewish school Shalhevet enjoyed a terrific season even though their longtime coach, Ryan Coleman, left for Milken.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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For him, Yuan porcelain represented a major cultural and technological breakthrough in Chinese art under Mongol rule, countering long-running, orthodox perceptions of the imperial dynasty.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reactionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reactionary. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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