as in interests
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of special interests
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
Not for the special interests that constantly roam the halls in Washington.
—NBC news, 4 Jan. 2026
Steve Moore, cofounder of the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, predicts fierce battles in state capitols, where teachers unions and other special interests will try to stop the tax relief movement, scaremongering about damaging cuts to school budgets and potholes in the streets.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 21 Dec. 2025
The decision created an ambiguity as to whether the two-thirds vote threshold for local special taxes would apply to local initiative measures put on the ballot by special interests.
—Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 21 Dec. 2025
Unsurprisingly, there are historical roots for this, based in the insurance industrial complex and expressed today by other special interests.
—Literary Hub, 19 Dec. 2025
Off-cycle elections also increase costs and amplify the influence of special interests.
—Pioneer Press Elections Team, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
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
Not for the special interests that constantly roam the halls in Washington.
—NBC news, 4 Jan. 2026
Steve Moore, cofounder of the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, predicts fierce battles in state capitols, where teachers unions and other special interests will try to stop the tax relief movement, scaremongering about damaging cuts to school budgets and potholes in the streets.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 21 Dec. 2025
The decision created an ambiguity as to whether the two-thirds vote threshold for local special taxes would apply to local initiative measures put on the ballot by special interests.
—Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 21 Dec. 2025
Unsurprisingly, there are historical roots for this, based in the insurance industrial complex and expressed today by other special interests.
—Literary Hub, 19 Dec. 2025
Off-cycle elections also increase costs and amplify the influence of special interests.
—Pioneer Press Elections Team, Twin Cities, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for special interests
Noun
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That critique of American foreign policy – that US high-mindedness and democratic idealism conceal naked corporate interests – persisted through the Cold War and into the 21st Century.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
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Health care, housing, and education would be built to be affordable, driven by real results from the bottom up--not by party interests trickling down.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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At the regulation’s first hearing in November, more than three dozen public interest groups opposed the rules, while the insurance industry supported the rules.—
Pat Maio,
Daily News,
8 Jan. 2026
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Otherwise politicians and interest groups will continue to demand tax increases as tax dollars disappear into pockets that may include their own.—
Susan Shelley,
Oc Register,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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At the same time, pressure groups worked hard to get younger, more YIMBY legislators elected.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
11 Jan. 2026
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Nearly 72% of censorship attempts in 2024 were initiated by pressure groups and decision makers who have been swayed by them.—
Jennifer Borresen,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Special interests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/special%20interests. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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