as in cults
a body of beliefs and practices regarding the supernatural and the worship of one or more deities
the Jewish religion has followers in many parts of the globe
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Recent Examples of religions
Hegseth ordered this latest move to streamline the number of religions in a May 20 memo sparking the controversy with the Mormon lawmakers.
—
Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 9 June 2026
For Yantrasast, part of Bukhara’s appeal lies in its history as a Silk Road city where cultures, religions, and ideas mixed for centuries.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 4 June 2026
Another integral part of this family drama is the theme of migration and dialogue – not just between different religions, but within communities themselves.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 June 2026
Everyone was very, very, very religious, but specifically Christianity and Catholicism, which in my opinion are very stifling religions that are very God-fearing.
—Louis Staples, Glamour, 27 May 2026
Most religions qualify as memes.
—Sarah Lewin Frasier, Scientific American, 27 May 2026
Four groups, one from each of those religions, filed a brief urging the high court to take up the USCCB’s case, warning that keeping the lower court rulings in place could lead to infringements on religious autonomy for other religions.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 26 May 2026
After his death, Jack arrives at a church in the flash sideways featuring symbols from multiple religions.
—Janey Tracey, Entertainment Weekly, 23 May 2026
The legislation allows public schools to close on this day and enables government employees to take time off to celebrate the Hindu festival of lights, which is also celebrated by other religions.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026
Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 9 June 2026
For Yantrasast, part of Bukhara’s appeal lies in its history as a Silk Road city where cultures, religions, and ideas mixed for centuries.
—Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 4 June 2026
Another integral part of this family drama is the theme of migration and dialogue – not just between different religions, but within communities themselves.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 June 2026
Everyone was very, very, very religious, but specifically Christianity and Catholicism, which in my opinion are very stifling religions that are very God-fearing.
—Louis Staples, Glamour, 27 May 2026
Most religions qualify as memes.
—Sarah Lewin Frasier, Scientific American, 27 May 2026
Four groups, one from each of those religions, filed a brief urging the high court to take up the USCCB’s case, warning that keeping the lower court rulings in place could lead to infringements on religious autonomy for other religions.
—Jack Birle, The Washington Examiner, 26 May 2026
After his death, Jack arrives at a church in the flash sideways featuring symbols from multiple religions.
—Janey Tracey, Entertainment Weekly, 23 May 2026
The legislation allows public schools to close on this day and enables government employees to take time off to celebrate the Hindu festival of lights, which is also celebrated by other religions.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for religions
Noun
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People leave cults, but the cults do not always leave them.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
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As with many cults, the multi-layered aspects of Eternal Values can be dizzying to track.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
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Most people get information about politics and current events not from newspapers but from social media, which discourages engagement with human beings of different political persuasions.—
Jeffrey Rosen,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
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Tuesday's protest gathered people of all ages and political persuasions as Milei faces declining approval ratings over slumping economic activity, falling wages and climbing unemployment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 May 2026
Noun
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Some sects of the entertainment industry have tackled AI head-on, including the aforementioned Aniston's Friends costar Lisa Kudrow, whose third and final season of the HBO comedy The Comeback entirely revolved around a story about the dangers of AI writing an entire sitcom.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
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In Tyre, long held up by locals as a model of coexistence among Lebanon’s various sects, Israeli occupation and bombardment were not weakening Hezbollah’s case for its weapons.—
Euan Ward,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
Noun
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To celebrate America's 250th, a grand home in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, held reminders of the birth of an entire town while honoring faiths from around the globe.—
Kim Hudson,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
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Across a range of faiths, people tended to support public education for all students, including undocumented immigrants.—
E. Kyle Romero,
The Conversation,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Religions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/religions. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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