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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Michelle Fay Cortez, Bloomberg, 5 Jan. 2026
What’s up with reactionary old French screen legends?
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 3 Jan. 2026
Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 25 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for reactionary
Adjective
Most parents’ responses are reactionary in nature.
—Michelle Fay Cortez, Bloomberg, 5 Jan. 2026
What’s up with reactionary old French screen legends?
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 3 Jan. 2026
Noun
In middle age, some sports fans become reactionaries.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 25 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for reactionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reactionary
Adjective
-
This falls short of the double-digit growth being reported by Meta and Microsoft, but IBM is opting for a conservative approach.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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When Yoon was in office, Kim was embroiled in a series of scandals that severely hurt the conservative leader's approval rating and provided relentless political ammunition to his rivals.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Free Home Elementary School in Cherokee County said the two-decade veteran educator and mother of one was placed on administrative leave.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Duties include making sure resident veterans receive the highest standard of medical care, following state laws and meeting specific needs of residents.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This includes subtle feedback that traditional simulators often miss.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
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In the work, traditional folklore and marvelous, uncanny incidents are often the sites of resistance against colonialism or enslavement.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Consequently, initial opportunities would have to come from the right, where Emery tends to station his widest, most orthodox winger.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
16 Jan. 2026
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The production company’s development slate is highlighted by the action-drama Barney Ross, a story about the titular orthodox rabbinical student who, after witnessing the murder of his rabbi father, fell in with a young Al Capone and Jack Ruby.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reactionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reactionary. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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