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
Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 1 June 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
Lula, on track for reelection in October polls, vowed to stem deforestation after logging soared under his rightist predecessor, who sought to curry favor with Brazil’s powerful farming firms.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rightist
Noun
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Among the about four dozen organizations listed were the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Urban League, and other legal aid groups that conservatives have long criticized, the Times reported.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
3 June 2026
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But Choi said Han’s win could worsen a divide in the conservatives because Yoon loyalists would feel a sense of crisis and close ranks further.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Here, as ever, Kokopeli suggests that clinging to youthful talismans offers no protection against uncertainty, and reasserts the odd mix of disaffection and morbid glee produced by such reactionary impulses.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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Even when The Breadwinner starts to tiptoe toward potential reactionary ideas about who belongs in the workplace and who belongs at home, the movie backs off and makes sure that no leaves the theater riled up.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Colombia’s first-round presidential election, won by tough-talking conservative Abelardo de la Espriella, signaled what analysts describe as a growing backlash across Latin America against leftist governments.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
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Meanwhile, leftist senator Iván Cepeda’s team – including his ally, President Gustavo Petro, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a second consecutive term – is already scrambling to expand its base in an effort to overturn De la Espriella’s lead.—
Catherine Ellis,
Miami Herald,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Officers placed McClain in a neck hold while Cooper and Cichuniec injected him with an excessive dose of ketamine.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
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The expansion followed numerous complaints from American shippers in the wake of global supply chain bottlenecks throughout 2021 and 2022, who had alleged that container shipping companies were bypassing them for service and charging them excessive late fees.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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No more extremist posturing to win primaries.—
Mary Ellen Klas,
Boston Herald,
1 June 2026
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Indeed, this was a more innocent time when conspiracy theories could still be fun and eccentric, and were less likely to be exploited by extremist actors.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a dissent that was joined by her fellow liberal justices, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
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His candidacy has drawn national attention as a barometer for dissatisfaction with liberal urban governance and because of viral videos that supporters created with artificial intelligence.—
MIchael R. Blood,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rightist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rightist. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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