as in partisans
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 zealots
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
Instead, a group of Jewish zealots burned the city’s storehouses in order to force the population to fight rather than wait out or appease their adversaries.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 7 Aug. 2025
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
Instead, a group of Jewish zealots burned the city’s storehouses in order to force the population to fight rather than wait out or appease their adversaries.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zealots
Noun
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During World War II, the song was transformed by Italian partisans into an anti-fascist anthem.—
Amanda Castro
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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In New York and New Jersey, patriot militias, loyalist partisans and British regulars raided across county lines, targeting farms and neighbors.—
Maurizio Valsania,
The Conversation,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In all, the attacks by al-Qaida militants killed 2,977 people, including many financial workers at the World Trade Center and firefighters and police officers who had rushed to the burning buildings trying to save lives.—
Philip Marcelo,
Fortune,
11 Sep. 2025
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The conflict began after the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas militants that killed 1,200 people and resulted in the capture of 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures.—
Sachin Ravikumar,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Today’s moral crusaders assume an elementary cause-and-effect relationship between books and readers.—
Kevin Dickinson,
Big Think,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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What began as a handful of campus groups now stretches across more than 3,500 high schools and universities, supported by dozens of full-time staff who manage student activists like a professional sales force.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Kirk, one of the most prominent political activists and organizers on the right, had been addressing thousands of college students at an outdoor event.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Watching these Eagles linebackers was a treat for football fanatics — and stunning for fans who’ve seen the Eagles linebackers for much of the past decade.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Carried by yesterday’s muses and reinvented by today’s nail artists and manicure fanatics, this trend is set to become the leading beauty inspiration for the fall 2025 season.—
Jeanne Ballion,
Glamour,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Zealots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zealots. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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