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
Then there are the Muslims depicted as religious zealots.
—
Deena Elgenaidi, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Like many of Harwicz’s characters, Lisa is a zealot of sorts—and an avatar of the author’s unusual belief in the value and importance of hatred.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
The son of an alcoholic named George and a religious zealot named Augusta, Gein was raised alongside his brother Henry in a disturbingly strict household.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
Wiry and wired, Lee, in his almost masochistic willingness to endure pain in service of his cause, calls back to First Reformed’s self-destructive zealot.
—Judy Berman, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for zealot
Deena Elgenaidi, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
Like many of Harwicz’s characters, Lisa is a zealot of sorts—and an avatar of the author’s unusual belief in the value and importance of hatred.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
The son of an alcoholic named George and a religious zealot named Augusta, Gein was raised alongside his brother Henry in a disturbingly strict household.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 3 Oct. 2025
Wiry and wired, Lee, in his almost masochistic willingness to endure pain in service of his cause, calls back to First Reformed’s self-destructive zealot.
—Judy Berman, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for zealot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zealot
Noun
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Motele, whose parents were murdered by the Nazis, escaped into the forest and joined a group of Jewish partisans.—
Liz Rothaus Bertrand,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Jan. 2026
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Even the country’s most panicked partisans wouldn’t put money on Comey serving a day in prison for the serious crimes he’s charged with.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Above and below are first-look images from the movie which stars Swell Ariel Or (Beauty Queen of Jerusalem) as the unit’s captain, who in the absence of central command took it upon herself to lead three armored vehicles and engage Hamas militants in a battle that lasted more than 17 hours.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
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The militants at the time besieged it for months before being pushed back.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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To now endure censure by overzealous anti-Pretendian crusaders, and banishment by bureaucratic tribal decrees and reactionary blood-quantum rules, feels particularly bitter.—
David Treuer,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
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For now, privacy crusaders are left to wait.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
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But it’s estimated that in the country of roughly 92 million people, only about 50,000 Starlink terminals have been smuggled into the country, according to digital activists cited by FreedomHouse.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Economic woes sparked the protests, which broadened into a challenge to the theocracy before the crackdown, which activists say has killed at least 6,443 people.—
SAM McNEIL AND JON GAMBRELL THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Sports fanatics might take in a game at one of America’s classic ballparks.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
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The way football is broadcast manages to obliterate any difference between an informal consumer and a face-painting fanatic.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zealot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zealot. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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