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 the novel, the servant Joseph is a self-righteous zealot who’s always banging on about the Bible.
—
Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
Public health often responds that MAHA supporters like Elizabeth, Melinda, and Nancy have been hoodwinked by social media influencers, grifters, and anti-vaccine zealots.
—Tom W. Johnson, STAT, 26 Jan. 2026
There is no denying that Friend was a religious zealot who had some very extreme ideas (which will be explored in this book).
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
In rip-roaring zombie sequel, Sir Jimmy Crystal leads a gang of murderous zealots known as the Jimmies.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for zealot
Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
Public health often responds that MAHA supporters like Elizabeth, Melinda, and Nancy have been hoodwinked by social media influencers, grifters, and anti-vaccine zealots.
—Tom W. Johnson, STAT, 26 Jan. 2026
There is no denying that Friend was a religious zealot who had some very extreme ideas (which will be explored in this book).
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
In rip-roaring zombie sequel, Sir Jimmy Crystal leads a gang of murderous zealots known as the Jimmies.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for zealot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zealot
Noun
-
Primaries can sometimes be a collective balancing act for voters, between what partisans want in a candidate and the strategic approach of anticipating what the wider electorate might want in a candidate.—
Anthony Salvanto,
CBS News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Millions of Democrats in Texas, Republicans in California and partisans in other states have been effectively disenfranchised, their voices rendered mute.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The crisis has worsened recently to include other militants from the neighboring Sahel region, including the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, which claimed its first attack on Nigerian soil last year.—
Dyepkazah Shibayan,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Recently, the crisis has worsened to include other militants from the neighboring Sahel region, including the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, which claimed its first attack on Nigerian soil last year.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Last year, it was also accused of killing Uruapan mayor Carlos Manzo, a known crusader against organized crime in Mexico.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Kennedy has stocked key public health advisory committees with anti-vax crusaders.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Ronnie Eldridge, an outspoken Manhattan activist, local television host who served on the City Council for 22 years, and wife of the late author and columnist Jimmy Breslin, died on Thursday.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
As political attacks on trans rights intensify, Calamia’s visibility as both athlete and activist represents an act of resistance and hope.—
Deborah Vankin,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And in news that will surprise absolutely no one familiar with his longevity endeavors, tech entrepreneur and bio-hacking fanatic Bryan Johnson also had penile Botox.—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The documentary rides an emotional seesaw, bouncing between moments of despair and elation during interviews dozens of AI fanatics and skeptics.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zealot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zealot. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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