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 his writing, Plante can come off as a zealot.
—
Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
The apocalyptic religious zealots who ran the Iranian police state were on the verge of complete construction of a nuclear bomb.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Set in the last year of World War II on the remote North Sea island of Amrum, the story is told from the point of view of 12-year-old Nanning (Jasper Billerbeck), whose zealot mother (Laura Tonke) is raising him as a good Nazi while his father fights in the war.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 8 Apr. 2026
Americans tended to see him as a religious zealot.
—Alex Shams, Time, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for zealot
Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
The apocalyptic religious zealots who ran the Iranian police state were on the verge of complete construction of a nuclear bomb.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Set in the last year of World War II on the remote North Sea island of Amrum, the story is told from the point of view of 12-year-old Nanning (Jasper Billerbeck), whose zealot mother (Laura Tonke) is raising him as a good Nazi while his father fights in the war.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 8 Apr. 2026
Americans tended to see him as a religious zealot.
—Alex Shams, Time, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for zealot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zealot
Noun
-
But this idea—that the more motivated partisans are to discriminate against Black voters, the less racist that discrimination is—is a perverse inversion of the Fifteenth Amendment.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
19 May 2026
-
This has not always endeared him to some Democratic partisans.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Earlier this month, Amnesty International accused the military of killing 100 civilians at a market while targeting militants.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
-
The ministry, part of Gaza’s Hamas-run government, does not give a breakdown between civilians and militants.—
Suzan Fraser,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Since then, graduates have heard from prime ministers, presidents, Supreme Court justices, movie stars, civil-rights crusaders, and Taylor Swift.—
Jonathan Haidt,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
To be clear, McConaughey isn’t an anti-AI crusader.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
As criticism over competitive disparities intensified following the meet, pro-trans activists pushed back with the familiar argument that inclusion matters more than results, while opponents argued female athletes lose opportunities in the process.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
-
Muth told activists at the town hall that the data center industry has not done enough to fully disclose its plans to the public.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
For both Milne and Dermody, long-time Eurovision fanatics who have traveled to Vienna, the contest is somewhat diminished this year.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
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The chance to work with Alexandre, who dissects cinema with the precision of a detective and the passion of a fanatic, is irresistible.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zealot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zealot. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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