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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 31 Mar. 2026
Your strength and your commitment told us that this is still America, and this reactionary nightmare — and these invasions of American cities — will not stand.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 29 Mar. 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
Procter & Gamble, meanwhile, which sold some of its beauty holdings to Coty but still has mega personal care brands such as Olay, Head & Shoulders and Pantene, as well as SK-II, isn’t expected to be reactionary.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 31 Mar. 2026
Your strength and your commitment told us that this is still America, and this reactionary nightmare — and these invasions of American cities — will not stand.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 29 Mar. 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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He's found success as a media personality by posting news and conservative political commentary, which has espoused various conspiracy theories.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
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Kennedy’s comments come as Medicaid home-care programs — which have long garnered bipartisan support as a cost-effective alternative to nursing homes and other institutions — face growing scrutiny from conservative policymakers and activists who have framed them as magnets for fraud and waste.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Patriots had a busy offseason, adding top free agents wide receiver Romeo Doubs, safety Kevin Byard, edge defender Dre’Mont Jones and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, among other veterans.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
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And didn’t veteran NFL draft analysts such as the NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, the former Eagles, Ravens and Browns scout from El Cajon, and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler place Simpson at 37th and 41st on their top-50 lists?—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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That strategy emphasized heavy diversification into illiquid alternative assets — such as private equity, venture capital and real estate — over traditional stocks and bonds.—
Terry Savage,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
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Additionally, unlike traditional bleaching which tends to give fabrics a flat look, Zero allows marbling.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In the nineteen-seventies, Franciscan University, a small school on a hill above the downtown, became a center for charismatic Catholicism, an expressive, theologically orthodox movement that paralleled the development of the evangelical Jesus People and secular hippie culture.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
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Dioceses across the country are reporting the highest amount of converts in decades, many of them drawn in by orthodox Catholic influencers.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reactionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reactionary. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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