1
as in radicals
a person who favors rapid and sweeping changes especially in laws and methods of government
after the collapse of the Russian monarchy, the moderate socialists briefly governed until being overthrown by the Bolshevik revolutionaries
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rebels
a person who rises up against authority
at first the government was not worried about this small band of unarmed revolutionaries
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of revolutionaries
The 25-year-old Indianapolis native plays Willa, the daughter of former revolutionaries DiCaprio and Taylor, who goes on the lam when unsavory characters from her parents’ past attempt to track her down.
—
Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 13 Mar. 2026
Paul Thomas Anderson updates the story of revolutionaries in post-1960s burnout to today — and possibly tomorrow.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
Almost fifty years ago, Iran’s revolutionaries introduced a militant brand of Shiite Islam as a viable medium of political opposition and governance.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Once back in power, Perón—and, after his death in 1974, his wife and successor, Isabelita—would demonize the revolutionaries as terrorists.
—Daniel R. Quiles, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
But these guys are pretty hardcore revolutionaries.
—Donald Heflin, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026
But these guys are pretty hardcore revolutionaries.
—Donald Heflin, The Conversation, 28 Feb. 2026
And, in the mid-1770s, that traveler might also hear talk of revolution, men recruiting others to join the militia fighting the British, even revolutionaries meeting in secret.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
With that mental reframing, the American (and then French and other) revolutionaries changed not just their own country, but the world.
—Andreas Kluth, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 13 Mar. 2026
Paul Thomas Anderson updates the story of revolutionaries in post-1960s burnout to today — and possibly tomorrow.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Mar. 2026
Almost fifty years ago, Iran’s revolutionaries introduced a militant brand of Shiite Islam as a viable medium of political opposition and governance.
—Robin Wright, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Once back in power, Perón—and, after his death in 1974, his wife and successor, Isabelita—would demonize the revolutionaries as terrorists.
—Daniel R. Quiles, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2026
But these guys are pretty hardcore revolutionaries.
—Donald Heflin, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026
But these guys are pretty hardcore revolutionaries.
—Donald Heflin, The Conversation, 28 Feb. 2026
And, in the mid-1770s, that traveler might also hear talk of revolution, men recruiting others to join the militia fighting the British, even revolutionaries meeting in secret.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026
With that mental reframing, the American (and then French and other) revolutionaries changed not just their own country, but the world.
—Andreas Kluth, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for revolutionaries
Noun
-
Berets were fashionable among radicals and the very old.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Wood argues that colleges are not only staffed with a disproportionate number of radicals who indoctrinate the students but also have turned everything from dormitory management to the dining halls over to the left.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The rebels also fired drones at Israel.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The choice was hailed by the president of Azerbaijan and the leader of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, among other allies.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Maiduguri has been at the heart of deadly violence in Nigeria in the past, but has experienced relative peace in recent years, even as the countryside is often battered by extremists.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Kent, a former political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed to his post last July on a 52-44 vote.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That kind of chaos could easily spill over Iran’s borders, and not just by land; the Persian Gulf is narrow, and would not pose much of an obstacle to terrorists or insurgents who cross it in speedboats.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Paxton will counter that Texas runoffs often reward insurgents.—
Gromer Jeffers Jr,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Investigators are not ruling out sabotage carried out by anarchists, citing similarities to the sabotage that targeted the French network during the 2024 Paris Olympics, when France’s high-speed train lines were targeted by multiple malicious acts including arson.—
Antonia Mortensen,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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The loudest calls for taxing the ultra-rich amid this year’s Davos summit aren’t coming from hooded anarchists or revolutionary socialists, but from the one-percenters themselves.—
Joe Wilkins Published Jan 22,
Futurism,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The cool-kid leftist pod for listeners intrigued enough to wade through the Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy sandbox, but who didn’t want to wade through the actual crazies, has become an anchor for a thriving alt-media ecosystem that’s long been ready for a skeptical, leftward, socialist-curious turn.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2025
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That means, at times, policing its own—and not letting the crazies run the asylum.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Revolutionaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/revolutionaries. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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