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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as in reactionary
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Recent Examples of rightist
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
Noun
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rightist
Noun
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Democrats have run several bills over the past few years to protect trans youth, in particular, a move that conservatives have decried as government interference with families.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
14 Jan. 2026
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But the six conservatives, a majority of them seemed not persuaded by that argument.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Most parents’ responses are reactionary in nature.—
Michelle Fay Cortez,
Bloomberg,
5 Jan. 2026
-
What’s up with reactionary old French screen legends?—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Now sixty-five, Petro is a survivor of a brutal era in which the Colombian state assassinated leftist leaders and butchered their followers, in an effort to quell the country’s Marxist guerrilla forces.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
15 Jan. 2026
-
The election of Jimmy Carter was the apex of leftist Christianity in America.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This can include excessive trim details, contrasting paint colors on every wall, or ceiling features that are too deep or too busy for the size of the room.—
Timothy Dale,
The Spruce,
15 Jan. 2026
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The President’s threat landed hours after a judge decided not to issue a temporary restraining order after Minnesota and the Twin Cities filed a lawsuit against federal officials, citing excessive force being used by agents.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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It was widely attributed to the same extremist collective, though not claimed explicitly by the Vulkangruppe.—
Anna Noryskiewicz,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
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Local officials have attributed the power outage to an arson attack from The Vulkangruppe (The Volcano Group), a left-wing extremist group.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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But Jennings' liberal attitude toward the airing of his opinions, regardless of their content, almost cost him the job.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
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But in years since, the district has grown more liberal.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rightist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rightist. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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