as in partisan
one who is intensely or excessively devoted to a cause
zealots on both sides of the issue resorted to name-calling and scare tactics
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Recent Examples of zealot
In Spanish, the line is gendered, as any bilingual Alcaraz zealot may point out.
—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
12 May 2026
Blending a tense crime thriller structure with absurdist, deadpan humor, the film follows a right-wing zealot who travels to a sleep rural town to assassinate a progressive woman journalist – but runs into a series of darkly comic encounters along the way.
—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
The sociology professor was also a jazz zealot with a little record collection at home.
—
Grayson Haver Currin,
Pitchfork,
30 Apr. 2026
In his writing, Plante can come off as a zealot.
—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for zealot
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
12 May 2026
Blending a tense crime thriller structure with absurdist, deadpan humor, the film follows a right-wing zealot who travels to a sleep rural town to assassinate a progressive woman journalist – but runs into a series of darkly comic encounters along the way.
—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
The sociology professor was also a jazz zealot with a little record collection at home.
—
Grayson Haver Currin,
Pitchfork,
30 Apr. 2026
In his writing, Plante can come off as a zealot.
—
Kaitlyn Tiffany,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for zealot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zealot
Noun
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Meanwhile, partisans continued to spar over dozens of Republican bills that would allow voters to lower property taxes for homeowners by raising sales taxes on everyone.
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When anti-elite sentiment is bipartisan, the real swing voter becomes the disgruntled partisan.
Noun
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Pakistani Taliban militants and other armed groups also operate in the region.
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Sullivan and Sodais watched together as the militants seized Herat.
Noun
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Saba masquerades like a CEF crusader whose mission is to eliminate any and every CEF discount.
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The book is full of stories of villains, like the venomous heroin that took so many of Seattle’s crusaders as well as the music industry that never quite understood where Soundgarden belonged.
Noun
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Newsom’s team created a broad coalition of opponents, including healthcare and education activists, that undercut the foundational argument for the tax.
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The action, set on France’s rugged northern coast, is anchored by teen romance, involves far-right anti-migrant activists, and is complicated by blue goo from space that creates clones—including of the two loopy police officers who investigate.
Noun
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Never fear, San Antonio fanatics, there’s something in the auction for you, too.
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The revolutionary fanatics running the Islamic regime aren’t interested in the welfare of the Iranian public, who were mowed down by the thousands when protesters took the streets seeking freedom.
Cite this Entry
“Zealot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zealot. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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