sects

plural of sect
as in factions
a group of people acting together within a larger group one sect of medical researchers holds the minority view that the disease is not caused by that virus

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sects Like other faith-healing sects, the Followers sought answers elsewhere. — Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026 Grand jury testimony portrayed the shooting as a culmination of a longstanding feud between rival record labels — Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records — and rival gang sects Mob Piru and South Side Compton Crips. — Andrew Dalton, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2026 The initial proposal, debated since 2019, has exposed sectarian tensions among the country’s multitude of Islamic and Christian sects. — ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026 Hundreds of pages of grand jury transcripts portray Tupac Shakur's shooting as a culmination of a longstanding feud between rival record labels Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records and rival gang sects Mob Piru and South Side Compton Crips. — CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026 In 1642, the fifth Dalai Lama first unified Tibet by yoking the strength of Mongol forces, who razed the monasteries of rival sects, killing thousands. — Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 July 2026 The Christian religion was only tolerated in the communist dictatorship, and other religious sects were forbidden. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 11 June 2026 In an unrelated development, an umbrella group of Hasidic Jewish sects in Williamsburg endorsed Reynoso. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 8 June 2026 Some sects of the entertainment industry have tackled AI head-on, including the aforementioned Aniston's Friends costar Lisa Kudrow, whose third and final season of the HBO comedy The Comeback entirely revolved around a story about the dangers of AI writing an entire sitcom. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sects
Noun
  • There are multiple factions with a variety of goals and assessments about the technology's promise, dangers and how it should be governed.
    — Katie McQue, NPR, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Various events bring together factions of a fashion industry that is acutely aware of the vastness of its environmental footprint and how little is being done to mitigate it.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The parties involved in the litigation—as well as Red Lobster itself, which is not being sued—declined to comment for this article, but their court filings lay out the sad saga in dramatic detail.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • This means that many times, HOAs have a measure of control over home decor and public gatherings of residents, such as parades, festivals and holiday parties – including which holidays are celebrated at all.
    — Stephanie A. Dhuman, The Conversation, 30 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sects. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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