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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of zealots
Then there are the Muslims depicted as religious zealots.
—
Deena Elgenaidi, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 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
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
Deena Elgenaidi, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 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
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Six activists barricaded themselves in the City Hall offices of Mayor Todd Gloria on Friday, a stand-off that continued until they were arrested.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
-
The group's figures have been accurate in previous unrest and rely on a network of activists in Iran to verify deaths.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 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
-
Fragrance fanatics may already know the original Valaya, but this latest iteration is loaded with almonds for a true marzipan hit.—
Jacqueline Kilikita,
Refinery29,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zealots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zealots. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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