1
as in radical
being very far from the center of public opinion
a candidate with a lot of crazy, revolutionary ideas that no one seems to be going for
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in insurgent
taking part in a rebellion
revolutionary forces that were soundly defeated before reaching the capital
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in rebel
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in revolutionist
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of revolutionary
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 13 May 2025
But this budget is more rhetorical than revolutionary.
—Veronique De Rugy, Twin Cities, 13 May 2025
Damien Cave, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, frightened Southern planters, those reluctant revolutionaries, threw in with their radical New England cousins.
—Andrew Lawler, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for revolutionary
Adjective
Venturing into the underground sanctuary of The Warehouse, where Frankie Knuckles spun revolutionary sounds, Vince teamed up with Jesse Saunders to form Z Factor, a scrappy collective of visionaries who captured the pulse of Chicago’s underground on wax.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 13 May 2025
But this budget is more rhetorical than revolutionary.
—Veronique De Rugy, Twin Cities, 13 May 2025
Noun
In 1946, Vietnam’s most famous revolutionary, Ho Chi Minh, told The New York Times that economic independence would be harder for Vietnam to obtain than political independence.
—Damien Cave, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Meanwhile, frightened Southern planters, those reluctant revolutionaries, threw in with their radical New England cousins.
—Andrew Lawler, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for revolutionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for revolutionary
Adjective
-
Now, a radical shift is taking place under President Trump.—
Rafael Nam,
NPR,
19 May 2025
-
Believing radical change requires violence to overthrow the old order, the two women and their fellow comrades launch an armed attack on wealthy landowners in a stately villa.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
18 May 2025
Adjective
-
In the fight over the future of the Democratic Party, Mr. Pritzker has emerged as a leader of an insurgent faction calling for a full-throated, unflinching barrage of attacks on Mr. Trump, his Republican allies and their right-wing agenda.—
Lisa Lerer,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
-
The photograph depicts a foot soldier in an insurgent religious movement trying to storm the halls of American power.—
John Blake,
CNN,
12 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Set in a crumbling Japanese metropolis rebuilt after a devastating explosion, Akira follows teenage rebels Kaneda and Tetsuo as secret government experiments unleash psychic forces capable of unmaking the world.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
21 May 2025
-
Bombs go off to separate the authorities from the rebels.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
Hazards differ according to geography, but include flooding, wildfires, extreme heat, storm surges, and other severe weather events.—
Claire Poole,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
-
Given the continued disparities of labor in the home, women face unique challenges during and after extreme weather events.—
Sheetal Khedkar Rao,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
These two regions are no longer promising New World upstarts or rebellious outposts of Bordeaux.—
Jessica Dupuy,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
-
Meanwhile, Paul finds himself in a work crisis that puts the lifestyle of Julie and their rebellious son Russ (Simon Webster) in jeopardy, leading Julie back to the dopey sweetness of Carey.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
19 May 2025
Noun
-
In a country shackled and scarred by race, religion, gender, and class, much of that rationalized and reified by mainline American churches, the Disciples were genial revolutionists offering inclusion, education, and empowerment for those at the margins.—
Richard D. Mahoney,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Apr. 2025
-
And many revolutionists think that new equipment has changed the patterns of advance and retreat in Ukraine relative to historical experience.—
Stephen Biddle,
Foreign Affairs,
10 Aug. 2023
Noun
-
Greenwich Village was thick with activists, artists, and anarchists; Harlem was having its Renaissance.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
-
Scores of downtown storefronts were boarded up in anticipation of clashes between cops and anarchists that, for a change, never materialized.—
Jason Motlagh,
Rolling Stone,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The most recent Pope Leo Leo XIII was elected in 1878 and was known as a reformer, a pontiff who emphasized diplomacy, advocated for scientific progress and positioned the church as a defender of human rights.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
-
The cardinal electors face a stark choice — select a pope who will follow in the footsteps of Pope Francis, an Argentine reformer who advocated for migrants and the environment, or one who will guide the Catholic Church down a more traditional path.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
7 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Revolutionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/revolutionary. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share