as in conservative
a person whose political beliefs are centered on tradition and keeping things the way they are
rightists opposed the new social programs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in reactionary
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rightist
Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Earlier this month, Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced the rightist Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup following his 2023 election loss.
—semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Historians have pointed to Hodge’s early support of reactionary rightists, including industrialists, landlords, and businessmen—people who were associated with Japanese rule.
—Kornel Chang
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Noun
That is, rightists who oppose aid to Ukraine tend to be skeptical of Israel and at least open to having anti-Semites in the Republican coalition.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Earlier this month, Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced the rightist Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup following his 2023 election loss.
—semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Historians have pointed to Hodge’s early support of reactionary rightists, including industrialists, landlords, and businessmen—people who were associated with Japanese rule.
—Kornel Chang
september 19, Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Rising worries over crime are upending Latin American politics, propelling rightist candidates to the top of polls across the region.
—semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rightist
Noun
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Those comments largely served as a testament to the staunch conservative’s willingness to work across the aisle to secure funding for his district.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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The court, in which conservatives hold a 6-3 majority, will decide whether to uphold its 1898 ruling that a man born in San Francisco to Chinese parents could be an American citizen.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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At lunch, Bilynskyj sat with a small group of right-wing Brazilian legislators, officials and influencers, all opponents of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s leftist government.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
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In 1984, Shakur surfaced in Havana, where she was granted political asylum by Fidel Castro’s leftist government.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Both problems also thwarted Artemis I, whose capsule returned with excessive heat shield damage.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
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Those key warning signs include low patient counts, excessive billing, staff shared across multiple companies, and supposedly terminally ill patients who were later discharged alive.—
Adam Yamaguchi,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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That said, there’s fundamental things about Mormonism in these extremist groups that are somewhat captivating because women in mainstream culture are seeing echoes in the tradwife movement, in the patriarchy that is integral to Mormonism.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
6 Apr. 2026
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Reports of extremist threats against places of worship added to the sense of unease.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Gorsuch’s opinion drew support from liberal Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.—
Lindsay Whitehurst,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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Even those who advocated for conservative positions were compelled to make their case in language amenable to the liberal sensibility.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rightist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rightist. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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