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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Aleppo had fallen to the rebels by the time Assad landed back in Damascus.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
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According to a United Nations report, since seizing Rubaya, the rebels have imposed taxes on the trade and transport of coltan, generating at least $800,000 a month.—
Justin Kabumba,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 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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Father Ed and Bishop Rob Hirschfeld aren’t political radicals.—
Ernesto Burden,
Washington Post,
9 Feb. 2026
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She was abducted from UC Berkeley by a small cadre of Bay Area militant radicals, who demanded her family pay to feed the poor en masse.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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That was Sokolowski’s introduction to a network of sadistic online extremists.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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More than 150 Christians were abducted from three churches in another part of Kaduna in January before being released this week while at least 160 people, mostly Muslims, were killed by Islamic extremists in Kwara state for refusing to be indoctrinated.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Secessionists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secessionists. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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