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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Recent Examples of sects
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
In Tyre, long held up by locals as a model of coexistence among Lebanon’s various sects, Israeli occupation and bombardment were not weakening Hezbollah’s case for its weapons.
—Euan Ward, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
Netflix has become the place for documentaries about true crime, but also documentaries about cults and sects.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 10 Apr. 2026
For one, Israel’s targeting and displacement of the Shiite community in southern Lebanon is likely to create friction among Lebanon’s various religious sects.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
Shia Islam is the majority religion in Iran, but the constitution recognizes Sunni Islam, Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Christianity as minority sects, with each represented in parliament.
—Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
With 12 Christian sects, the country is home to the largest proportion of Christians of any nation in the Arab world.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
Islam has two major sects that are often in conflict.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
His ideas precipitated a tectonic crisis of political legitimacy and unleashed a series of continent-wide wars, sometimes featuring millenarian protocommunist sects like the Anabaptists, who sought to overthrow the social order.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026
In Tyre, long held up by locals as a model of coexistence among Lebanon’s various sects, Israeli occupation and bombardment were not weakening Hezbollah’s case for its weapons.
—Euan Ward, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
Netflix has become the place for documentaries about true crime, but also documentaries about cults and sects.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 10 Apr. 2026
For one, Israel’s targeting and displacement of the Shiite community in southern Lebanon is likely to create friction among Lebanon’s various religious sects.
—Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
Shia Islam is the majority religion in Iran, but the constitution recognizes Sunni Islam, Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Christianity as minority sects, with each represented in parliament.
—Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026
With 12 Christian sects, the country is home to the largest proportion of Christians of any nation in the Arab world.
—ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
Islam has two major sects that are often in conflict.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026
His ideas precipitated a tectonic crisis of political legitimacy and unleashed a series of continent-wide wars, sometimes featuring millenarian protocommunist sects like the Anabaptists, who sought to overthrow the social order.
—Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sects
Noun
-
In 2018, tensions between the Service Employees International Union and smaller unions split the labor coalition into two factions.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
10 June 2026
-
Season 3 continues the bloody battle between the warring factions of the House of Targaryen for control of the Iron Throne.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
These watch parties are open to the public and do not require a ticket.—
DeJanay Booth-Singleton,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
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While members of both parties who cite privacy issues have long wanted to limit the authority, there was broad bipartisan support to renew it, especially after Republicans and Democrats recently worked out a compromise bill.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sects. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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