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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Recent Examples of special interest
The spending bonanza is a good window into how pricey campaigns, unlimited PAC donations and special interests can come to dominate races behind the scenes.
—
Bayliss Wagner, Houston Chronicle, 12 Feb. 2026
Virtually every election cycle sees at least one special interest duel, such as the 2022 battle between casino-owning tribes and sports wagering firms over whether California should allow betting on athletic events, which resulted in voters rejecting both competing measures.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
Cater to special interests Conservatives used to profess that closer-to-home local government was best, but it has been abandoned across the nation.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
Fairbanks has taken a special interest in those, noting that as larger funders begin the slow work of processing applications, the need for rental assistance continues to grow — especially as residents approach the period when the eviction process can begin.
—CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for special interest
Bayliss Wagner, Houston Chronicle, 12 Feb. 2026
Virtually every election cycle sees at least one special interest duel, such as the 2022 battle between casino-owning tribes and sports wagering firms over whether California should allow betting on athletic events, which resulted in voters rejecting both competing measures.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
Cater to special interests Conservatives used to profess that closer-to-home local government was best, but it has been abandoned across the nation.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 10 Feb. 2026
Fairbanks has taken a special interest in those, noting that as larger funders begin the slow work of processing applications, the need for rental assistance continues to grow — especially as residents approach the period when the eviction process can begin.
—CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for special interest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for special interest
Noun
-
The Army’s evaluation of the TRV-150 signals growing interest in shifting more logistical tasks to autonomous systems.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
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Tamony also noted an increasing interest in climbing roses and roses in containers, as well as plenty of interest in pinks as a single-color accent to the green foliage.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The moment bought Clinton a priceless image of willingness to speak truth to the party’s interest groups but came at the price of Jackson’s rage.—
Johanna Neuman,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
-
No single donor or interest group dominates my fundraising.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Special interest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/special%20interest. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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