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
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
-
The mood this time was understandably less buoyant among the Knicks partisans.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
9 June 2026
-
But there's also a dynamic here where the partisans on each side justify themselves by looking at the bad examples on the other side.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
The Israeli military said two soldiers were wounded, one severely, in an encounter Friday with militants in southern Lebanon.—
Michelle L. Price,
Fortune,
6 June 2026
-
The ceasefire agreement calls for Lebanon’s armed forces to take control of security zones in Lebanon from which the militants would be banned.—
Bassem Mroue,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
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.—
Selena Fragassi,
SPIN,
9 June 2026
-
Fearless and willing to brawl for her convictions, Teela, who is the biological daughter of the Sorceress and adopted daughter of the Man-At-Arms, teaches He-Man how to be a crusader of Eternia.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
Progressive pushback Klobuchar handily won the endorsement, but not without first facing progressive party activists.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
30 May 2026
-
In Florida, activists rallied this spring to protect treatment access for low-income residents, and successfully pressured lawmakers into funding HIV care through June 2026.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Massachusetts-born, Robinson will be playing on home soil in front of friends, family and national team fanatics, an honor every player dreams of but only very few get.—
Jim Sciutto,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
-
As a soccer fanatic and big Netherlands fan, Duncan says this is a dream come true.—
Briseida Holguin,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zealot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zealot. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
