ACOLYTES Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

acolytes

noun

plural of acolyte

as in adherents

one who follows the opinions or teachings of another a highly influential economist whose acolytes can be found at many major universities

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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 acolytes Both of you have acolytes, respectively. — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 29 Apr. 2026 Or would the attendees be acolytes hungry for an influencer’s attention? — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 26 May 2026 Tamaki went on to open his own joint in 2018 in Tokyo, and acolytes have been raving about his creations ever since. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 4 May 2026 The other Founders had acolytes who promoted their legacy and preserved their records, but Wilson died a pariah, which kept him out of history books as the conventional narrative of the founding took shape. — Jesse Wegman, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026 In May, Jenna Lyons will bring a group of acolytes to Milan, while food writer Rebekah Peppler will lead a culinary tour of the French Riviera. — Ingrid Abramovitch, Architectural Digest, 6 May 2026 Part of what makes the festival unique is the community that has been coming to it religiously for years, absent any premieres or red carpets, and many of them film writer acolytes of Roger who met or were invited after first engaging with Roger through his blog. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026 Over the years, Smith has done only a select handful of collaborations with his acolytes, such as Chvrches, the Twilight Sad, Crystal Castles, Gorillaz, and Tweaker. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2026 Among those acolytes is Lucien (Jérémy Gillet), a reedy, repressed young virgin who yearns to be part of the gay community but hasn’t the courage to come out to his domineering mother Christine (Elisabeth Wiener), who also just happens to be the country’s very right-wing health minister. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 23 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for acolytes

Noun

Baric worked closely with researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which many adherents to the lab-leak theory posit as the source of the pandemic; one contingent thinks that Baric might have been the creator of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

— Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 7 July 2026
Many liberals had been disciplined to adopt methods that purported to strictly confine legal interpretation, only to discover that their most prominent adherents, whether covertly or unconsciously, had other plans.

— Jeannie Suk Gersen, New Yorker, 2 July 2026

Definition of adherents

Noun

Throughout the journey, Pfendler documented life alone at sea for hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, sharing the physical and mental challenges of crossing one of the world's largest oceans.

— Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026
His gift for lyrics that were both deeply humane and sharply critical has endured for generations, inspiring followers such as Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.

— Steve Appleford, Rolling Stone, 4 July 2026

Definition of followers

Noun

Back in his coaching career, Cruyff was one of the first managers to be obsessed with the cut of the pitch — a trait that has passed over to his disciples, most notably the exacting Pep Guardiola.

— Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 25 June 2026
Christian Science teaches that the divine laws of Truth and Life, as demonstrated by Jesus and his disciples, continue to operate today as an eternal, demonstrable Science.

— Alistair Budd, Christian Science Monitor, 24 June 2026

Definition of disciples

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acolyte

acolytes

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“Acolytes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acolytes. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of acolytes

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