as in radical
being very far from the center of public opinion
their extremist views on religious issues set them apart from the rest of the community
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in revolutionary
a person who favors rapid and sweeping changes especially in laws and methods of government
extremists wanted to do away with everything, even though they had no thought-out plan for what to do afterwards
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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 extremist
Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Meanwhile, militant leftists, a small subset of extremist violence in the United States, are portrayed as a threat on par with global terrorist networks such as al-Qaida.
—Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 14 May 2026
Federal prosecutors described him as the leader of an extremist group called the Maniac Murder Cult, which promotes racially motivated violence.
—Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 13 May 2026
People involved in extremist groups or ideology may also be hesitant to talk to researchers or might lie about their motivations.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 12 May 2026
Unfounded accusations and extremist conspiracy theories will not distract me from the work that matters.
—Ashley Paul, CBS News, 12 May 2026
Police are investigating whether an extremist group, the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, which has claimed responsibility for several of the attacks, is formally linked to the Iranian government.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
Mali has been ruled by a military junta that took power in a 2020 coup, promising to restore security amid a surge of extremist attacks.
—ABC News, 7 May 2026
What other research is being done Researchers are finding that extremist ideas are now spreading through looser networks where many voices contribute and messaging can vary widely.
—Yu-Ru Lin, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
Nathalie Japkowicz, The Conversation, 18 May 2026
While those behind the recent maritime raids have yet to be identified, previous ship captures have often involved young Somalis from impoverished communities and armed extremists affiliated with global terror networks.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
In an era of heightened political violence, any high-profile public event is a potential target for extremists, and the country remains deeply polarized and heavily armed.
—Nick Miroff, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Continue reading … LEFT'S CIVIL WAR — 'Pro-capitalist' Fetterman names names, torching fellow Dems as extremists.
—FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
He was succeeded by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who is considered more of an ideological extremist than his father.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Her prank of lying in wait for each of her housemates, bombarding them with a Super Soaker, and then enlisting them in her eco-army of Seussian extremists was just pure wonderful delight.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 6 May 2026
For years, Christian clergy who live and work in Jerusalem have reported being frequently spat on, harassed and even physically attacked by Israeli extremists.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 1 May 2026
Conway’s rhetoric, which sounds eerily similar to that of extremists such as Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, drew a sharp rebuke from his colleague and fellow Councilman Yitzy Schleifer, who criticized Conway for singling out contributions from AIPAC for scrutiny.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Prosecutors described Chkhikvishvili as the leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, an international extremist group that adheres to a neo-Nazi ideology promoting violence intended to trigger a racial and religious war.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Meanwhile, militant leftists, a small subset of extremist violence in the United States, are portrayed as a threat on par with global terrorist networks such as al-Qaida.
—Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 14 May 2026
Federal prosecutors described him as the leader of an extremist group called the Maniac Murder Cult, which promotes racially motivated violence.
—Chloe Atkins, NBC news, 13 May 2026
People involved in extremist groups or ideology may also be hesitant to talk to researchers or might lie about their motivations.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 12 May 2026
Unfounded accusations and extremist conspiracy theories will not distract me from the work that matters.
—Ashley Paul, CBS News, 12 May 2026
Police are investigating whether an extremist group, the Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right, which has claimed responsibility for several of the attacks, is formally linked to the Iranian government.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
Mali has been ruled by a military junta that took power in a 2020 coup, promising to restore security amid a surge of extremist attacks.
—ABC News, 7 May 2026
What other research is being done Researchers are finding that extremist ideas are now spreading through looser networks where many voices contribute and messaging can vary widely.
—Yu-Ru Lin, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
Noun
There are also alternative – some argue extremist – sites that limit content moderation, including 4chan, BitChute, Gab, GETTR, Parler, Rumble and Truth Social.
—Nathalie Japkowicz, The Conversation, 18 May 2026
While those behind the recent maritime raids have yet to be identified, previous ship captures have often involved young Somalis from impoverished communities and armed extremists affiliated with global terror networks.
—Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
In an era of heightened political violence, any high-profile public event is a potential target for extremists, and the country remains deeply polarized and heavily armed.
—Nick Miroff, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Continue reading … LEFT'S CIVIL WAR — 'Pro-capitalist' Fetterman names names, torching fellow Dems as extremists.
—FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
He was succeeded by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who is considered more of an ideological extremist than his father.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Her prank of lying in wait for each of her housemates, bombarding them with a Super Soaker, and then enlisting them in her eco-army of Seussian extremists was just pure wonderful delight.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 6 May 2026
For years, Christian clergy who live and work in Jerusalem have reported being frequently spat on, harassed and even physically attacked by Israeli extremists.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 1 May 2026
Conway’s rhetoric, which sounds eerily similar to that of extremists such as Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, drew a sharp rebuke from his colleague and fellow Councilman Yitzy Schleifer, who criticized Conway for singling out contributions from AIPAC for scrutiny.
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extremist
Adjective
-
Britain’s markets have appeared shaky as rumors of a contest have swirled, which may give those who favor a more radical approach pause for thought.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
-
Revisiting the groundbreaking feminist performance art movement in 1970s Los Angeles, one artist spotlights the inspirational, transformational, radical community exploding the narrative and status quo.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
This revolutionary fervor culminated in both Fidel and Raúl, with roughly 140 rebel revolutionaries in tow, storming Cuba’s second-largest military installation, the Moncada Barracks, in July 1953.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
-
In the second half of the 20th century, everyone who was anyone in American culture – from Hollywood icons to presidents and revolutionaries – had their portrait taken by Avedon.—
Sheena McKenzie,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
The material includes Nazi iconography, extreme misogyny and racist sentiments about Black people and other minority groups, law enforcement officials said.—
Tom Winter,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
-
In addition, the extreme naïveté of the Spanish do-gooder lawyer is an out-of-place cliché in a film whose cinematic potency and multifaceted performances testify to Marrakchi’s strengths.—
Jay Weissberg,
Variety,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Mitchell’s music variously evokes gospel, blues, working songs and the ravings of a rabid cult.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
-
There's no question that Wetzel has a rabid following, and continues to build a powerful brand in the country music world.—
David Hookstead OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extremist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extremist. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
