as in excessiveness
belief in and support for ideas that are very far from what most people consider correct or reasonable
political extremism
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Recent Examples of extremism
This version of online extremism’s story is a comforting one.
—
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
For many Jewish Americans, the antisemitic incidents have confirmed longstanding fears about the rise of antisemitism, as well as the need to vigorously counter extremism and live their faith undaunted by threats.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Mar. 2026
Obi Anyadike is Senior Africa Editor at The New Humanitarian, with a focus on violent extremism.
—Obi Anyadike, semafor.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Experts on extremism and jihadist terrorism said this pledge of allegiance is an important aspect of these attacks for the individual terrorist, for the group and for the American legal system.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extremism
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
For many Jewish Americans, the antisemitic incidents have confirmed longstanding fears about the rise of antisemitism, as well as the need to vigorously counter extremism and live their faith undaunted by threats.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Mar. 2026
Obi Anyadike is Senior Africa Editor at The New Humanitarian, with a focus on violent extremism.
—Obi Anyadike, semafor.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Experts on extremism and jihadist terrorism said this pledge of allegiance is an important aspect of these attacks for the individual terrorist, for the group and for the American legal system.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for extremism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extremism
Noun
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Revelry Reformed Already in the Middle Ages, there existed conflict between those who partook in carnival’s excesses for a higher, spiritual purpose, and those who enjoyed themselves for enjoyment’s sake.—
Tim Brinkhof,
JSTOR Daily,
1 Apr. 2026
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Pre-portioning baskets from the start, setting a one-treat-per-day rule after Easter morning and donating or freezing the excess are the strategies parents are actually using.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But that distinction would have made little sense to seventeenth-century women, whose religious radicalism led them to make vehement political critiques of their own society.—
Chandler Fritz,
The New York Review of Books,
21 Mar. 2026
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The challenge of Islamic terrorism in America is that, just like the homegrown terrorism of white supremacists, the radicalism is often diffuse.—
Juliette Kayyem,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But this often requires accepting the fundamental irrationality of the wrapping-up process.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
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The irrationality of politicians suddenly makes sense.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extremism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extremism. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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