as in interest
a group of people with a common identifying interest that they seek to protect and promote
promised that as governor he would never be beholden to special interests
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of special interest
The House floor was frozen for more than a day as leaders and rebels hashed out complicated deals on amendment votes and coupling special interest bills with larger must-pass items.
—
Emily Brooks, The Hill, 1 May 2026
The evidence relating to these crimes was of special interest, given that Kirwan’s murder and Gately’s surveillance are also part of the charge against Kinahan.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2026
Streaming services usually offer add-ons (like a sports-specific package) for special interests, and Sling TV is no exception.
—Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 28 Apr. 2026
Bari Weiss, editor in chief at CBS News, is known to have a special interest in Israeli and Middle East affairs, and her selection of Raice to supervise all foreign coverage would suggest that focus will continue.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for special interest
Emily Brooks, The Hill, 1 May 2026
The evidence relating to these crimes was of special interest, given that Kirwan’s murder and Gately’s surveillance are also part of the charge against Kinahan.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2026
Streaming services usually offer add-ons (like a sports-specific package) for special interests, and Sling TV is no exception.
—Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 28 Apr. 2026
Bari Weiss, editor in chief at CBS News, is known to have a special interest in Israeli and Middle East affairs, and her selection of Raice to supervise all foreign coverage would suggest that focus will continue.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for special interest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for special interest
Noun
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Her fraternal twin brother, Noah, helped spur her early interest.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
12 May 2026
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The nomination of Hamilton, who argued abolishing FEMA was not in the country’s best interests, is the latest indication of that change.—
Gabriela Aoun Angueira,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
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Last week, the Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana and 26 other public interest groups called on state and local officials to pause the pace of developing data centers in the Hoosier State, according to the Post-Tribune newspaper.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
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Names were then tested in workshops with participants from all over the world, representing all interest groups.—
Annalisa Merelli,
STAT,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Special interest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/special%20interest. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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