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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of zealot
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
In that vacuum, religious zealots and cults manifest, nihilism thrives, and families are torn apart.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2025
For weeks, Oasis zealots have devoured online videos of the siblings strolling out onstage together, arms raised in victory and hugs brief yet genuine.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
That's just part of what Nikita Bridan says should be a compelling package, even for anti-EV zealots.
—Tim Stevens, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for zealot
Judy Berman, Time, 23 Sep. 2025
In that vacuum, religious zealots and cults manifest, nihilism thrives, and families are torn apart.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2025
For weeks, Oasis zealots have devoured online videos of the siblings strolling out onstage together, arms raised in victory and hugs brief yet genuine.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
That's just part of what Nikita Bridan says should be a compelling package, even for anti-EV zealots.
—Tim Stevens, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for zealot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zealot
Noun
-
Beloved by liberal partisans and loathed by their counterparts, Pelosi was one of the last engineers of an old-school political machine that could count votes better than anyone in a generation.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Critics will predictably argue that those two positions are inherently linked; on the opposite side of the political spectrum, oil and gas partisans could point to Gates’ essay as proof that climate hysteria was misguided all along and that fossil use should continue unimpeded.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The explosion came less than a day after militants attacked a cadet college in northwestern Pakistan.—
Sophia Saifi,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
-
According to Alamgir Mahsud, the local police chief, two of the militants were quickly killed by troops while three militants managed to enter the compound before being cornered in an administrative block.—
NPR,
NPR,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Is Lee Raybon a righteous crusader for truth and justice or a dangerously delusional white savior?—
Judy Berman,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Austin’s disappearance transformed his mother, Debra, into a geopolitical crusader overnight.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The civil rights activist pointed out that Davis has been divorced several times, noting that this is counter to some Americans' religious beliefs as well.—
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Anti-Trump activists are deploying an array of tactics to fight back against the policies of the President and his Administration — protests, marches, events, advocacy campaigns, social media videos.—
Time,
Time,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
This album was so traumatizing for teenage Clash fanatics like me.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Coral fanatics will love visiting Negril, home to mountainous coral mounds and ethereal swim-through caves where green and red soft corals hang down like mystical fingers.—
Adrienne Jordan,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Zealot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zealot. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share