as in rebels
a person who thinks that a nation, state, etc., should separate from another and become independent
A growing group of secessionists are pushing for the independence of the region.
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Recent Examples of secessionists
Analysts sympathetic to Riyadh say Saudi policy is to defend state sovereignty and regional order, accusing Abu Dhabi of empowering secessionists to maintain influence in failing states.
—
Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for secessionists
Noun
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Petro also urged the rebels to back efforts to replace coca crops in the northeastern Catatumbo region.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Feb. 2026
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With Yemen challenged by the social and economic effects of a sporadic but ongoing civil war between Houthi rebels and the central government, conditions have proven difficult for Almatrahi and his family members to visit their homeland.—
Marc Ramirez,
USA Today,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Those funds often backed far-right Republican insurgents.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Amid the nods to social media and cancel culture and the shallow perils of modern celebrity, the image of Taylor-Joy’s disciplined group of insurgents, who speak in almost archaic, poetic dialogue, strikes a bracing contrast.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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Father Ed and Bishop Rob Hirschfeld aren’t political radicals.—
Ernesto Burden,
Washington Post,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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During the battles against IS, thousands of extremists and tens of thousands of women and children linked to them were taken to detention camps.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
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That was Sokolowski’s introduction to a network of sadistic online extremists.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Secessionists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secessionists. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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