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
For years, Congress set tariff rates item by item, and the debates over each line were susceptible to capture by special interests.
—
Inu Manak, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
After watching the state’s once nation-leading public records system buckle under political pressure, special interests, stonewalling and outright abuse, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has finally had enough.
—Bobby Block, Sun Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026
And many of the costs can be traced back to labor union special interests.
—Lylena D. Estabine, Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
Reviewers’ ties to special interests, disclosed in a report published alongside the guidelines, is especially notable considering how administration officials have railed against conflicts of interest in the development of previous dietary guidelines.
—Isabella Cueto, STAT, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for special interest
Inu Manak, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
After watching the state’s once nation-leading public records system buckle under political pressure, special interests, stonewalling and outright abuse, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has finally had enough.
—Bobby Block, Sun Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026
And many of the costs can be traced back to labor union special interests.
—Lylena D. Estabine, Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
Reviewers’ ties to special interests, disclosed in a report published alongside the guidelines, is especially notable considering how administration officials have railed against conflicts of interest in the development of previous dietary guidelines.
—Isabella Cueto, STAT, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for special interest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for special interest
Noun
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Proposals to cap credit card interest rates are just such an example.—
Matthew Kandrach,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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The Federal Reserve has lowered its benchmark interest rate by nearly two percentage points since late 2024.—
Chris Isidore,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Those who might be displaced or de-skilled by the advancing tech wave will fight in the office with passive aggression, in the media with poisonous leaks delivered at just the worst time, and in legislatures through the voting power of the bureaucrats, teachers’ unions, and other interest groups.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
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As costs rise, candidates devote more time to courting wealthy backers, interest groups and political action committees.—
Philip Jankowski,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Special interest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/special%20interest. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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