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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It was reserved only for slaves, criminals and political rebels.—
John Blake,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
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Following the events of A Palace Near the Wind, Liu Lufeng and her siblings flee the Palace for the dangerous waters, which contain rebels, allies, and her sister Sangshu—though Sangshu’s conflicting loyalties may clash with Lufeng’s plan to keep them all safe.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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To Alfredo De Avila, of the Oakland Center for Third World Organizing, the UFW’s claims that Communist insurgents are plotting against Chavez and his union highlight how far the UFW has fallen.—
Marcos Breton,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
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Bakri is more brittle in Farah Nabulsi’s The Teacher as Basem, a Palestinian teacher in the West Bank whose support for insurgents grows after his own son dies in prison and as Israeli settlers brutalize his neighborhood.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Now some Republicans are depicting the No Kings movement as a band of radicals, out of step with mainstream political opinion.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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The convergence of Abundance centrists and conservative environmentalists would seem to belie the ACC’s assertion that the environmental movement is dominated by radicals who would rather sabotage the American economy than accept any of the compromises necessary to achieve a prosperous future.—
Gaby Del Valle,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Yet Ali’s act does not only evoke terrorist incidents such as the Charlie Hebdo attack, perpetrated by Muslim extremists, just a few months prior to The Red Chador.—
H.M.A. Leow,
JSTOR Daily,
31 Mar. 2026
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In 2022, two officers were shot dead by Christian extremists at a rural property in Queensland state.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Secessionists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secessionists. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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