1
as in extreme
being very far from the center of public opinion
the baggy trousers that Amelia Bloomer introduced in the 1850s were considered a radical form of dress for women at the time
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in liberal
not bound by traditional ways or beliefs
radical proponents of spelling reform would have every word spelled "just the way it sounds"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in wonderful
slang
of the very best kind
surfing conditions at virtually all of the beaches along the coast were truly radical
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in revolutionary
a person who favors rapid and sweeping changes especially in laws and methods of government
radicals staged large, violent protests in the hopes of toppling the government
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 radical
Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2025
While the protests have been less frequent this school year, campus organizations have grown increasingly radical in their language and some actions.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2025
Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 15 Jan. 2025
Tom Homan said this week that the incoming administration needs to pay close attention to potential radicals and extremists in various agencies, including the U.S. military, following the two attacks in Las Vegas and New Orleans.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 4 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for radical
Adjective
Much of what Trump said was inflammatory, radical, and dangerous.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2025
While the protests have been less frequent this school year, campus organizations have grown increasingly radical in their language and some actions.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
But amid Trump’s return, the radicals have their eyes on bigger prizes, such as the annexation of the West Bank—which the Palestinians claim for their future state—and are loath to forgo such opportunities.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 15 Jan. 2025
Tom Homan said this week that the incoming administration needs to pay close attention to potential radicals and extremists in various agencies, including the U.S. military, following the two attacks in Las Vegas and New Orleans.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 4 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for radical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for radical
Adjective
-
According to Parkinson, the improbability of Lemons' survival and extreme nature of saturation diving is what originally drew him to the story.—
Megan McCluskey,
TIME,
1 Mar. 2025
-
For Rico Nasty, extreme was the name of the game, with some needlepoint glam by way of her acupuncturist.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The liberal economic reforms spearheaded by President Javier Milei have sent ripples through global financial markets, attracting both optimism and skepticism.—
Gianluca Sidoti,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
-
There is now a four-to-three liberal majority on the court, but Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, a liberal who has sat on the court since 1995, is retiring, putting the court’s majority on the ballot.—
Theodore Schleifer,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
So actually, the story can be looked at as a celebration of the fact that your disability can just be one wonderful part of you.—
Esme Mazzeo,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2025
-
And if your neighborhood doesn’t, start one! Start a Book or Card Club There’s so many wonderful books out there just waiting to be discussed.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Black bookstores have long been sanctuaries — nurturing Black thought, incubating ideas and cultivating the next generation of readers, writers and revolutionaries.—
Jameelah Nasheed,
Essence,
4 Mar. 2025
-
Football fans, the ones who will pay tens of thousands of dollars to go to a game or bet hundreds of dollars on the flip of a coin, tend not to be art lovers or revolutionaries.—
Nick Paumgarten,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
But the rabid fans were left disappointed as Lahore’s temperamental weather spoiled the party and ended what had been an engrossing match.—
Tristan Lavalette,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
-
West should be ostracized for his rabid antisemitism.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
This was especially true as business interests, working to undermine progressive New Deal labor policies such as a federal minimum wage and unemployment insurance, openly equated support for these policies with Communism.—
Rebecca Brenner Graham / Made by History,
TIME,
4 Mar. 2025
-
In a heavily progressive city that voted 3-to-1 against President Donald Trump in November, there has been extensive disappointment over his initiatives since taking office.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
There’s such a great playfulness and a balance between the two of them.—
Vlada Gelman,
TVLine,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Those extra hours—for fewer rewards—can contribute to women’s greater fatigue, health problems, and burnout.—
Michelle Travis,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
However, the path to gaining such a naturalized vision of peace requires us to revisit some of the lessons of unconventional diplomacy that consider broader planetary imperatives of sustainability.—
Saleem H. Ali,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
-
Guests flocked to the espresso martini bar (which concealed a secret door leading to a private lounge where a few discreetly slipped away) or lounged in the outdoor living room, where swinging beds served as unconventional seating.—
Jamila Stewart,
Vogue,
1 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Radical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/radical. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share