philistines

Definition of philistinesnext
plural of philistine
as in materialists
a person who is chiefly interested in material comfort and is hostile or indifferent to art and culture the town's philistines who think that spending on the arts is a waste of taxpayers' money

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for philistines
Noun
  • The four paintings are Joan Miró’s Composition (1953), Maurice Utrillo’s Maison de rendez-vous de chasse de Henri IV, rue Saint-Vincent, Montmartre (1934), Balthus’s Etude pour femme couchée (1948), and Pablo Picasso’s L’Ecuyere et les clowns (1961).
    Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 6 May 2026
  • Once completed, the $5 million acquisition will ensure the theater has a permanent home, a place where skateboarding clowns and leek-haired onions can continue to frolic and dance for decades to come.
    Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The donors are a who’s who of tech leaders, venture capitalists and other leaders in the gig, gaming, digital media and AI defense fields.
    Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
  • Sophisticated venture capitalists often invest only after entrepreneurs demonstrate proof, traction, asymmetry, or exceptional founder capability.
    Dileep Rao, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Noun
  • There were fewer than four minutes left, and possibly four more rats to find.
    Ross Mantle, New York Times, 21 May 2026
  • Yeah, this is a virus that's a natural virus of rodents, of certain species of mice and rats, not typically household rodents, but more those that are out in the wild.
    Dana Taylor, USA Today, 20 May 2026
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.

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“Philistines.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/philistines. Accessed 23 May. 2026.

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