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
Prashant Kondle, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Charlie's murder is proof that the radical left won't allow Americans to make our country great again without a fight.
—Brooke L. Rollins, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Matt Egan, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
On the one side, bell bottoms became the signature look of 1970s radicals.
—Stephen Mihm, Twin Cities, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for radical
Adjective
This is the most radical—and the most critical—move.
—Prashant Kondle, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Charlie's murder is proof that the radical left won't allow Americans to make our country great again without a fight.
—Brooke L. Rollins, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
Waller, viewed as the odds-on favorite to replace Powell when his term expires in May, is viewed as more of an institutionalist than a radical.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
On the one side, bell bottoms became the signature look of 1970s radicals.
—Stephen Mihm, Twin Cities, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for radical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for radical
Adjective
-
Ceramic parts are known for their resilience in extreme environments.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Sep. 2025
-
With Kennedy at the helm of HHS, major medical organizations have expressed extreme alarm about restrictions to COVID-19 vaccines that have already taken place and warned of potential further restrictions to routine childhood vaccines.—
Sony Salzman,
ABC News,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
For many on the Right, Carr is a welcome protector of conservative views on broadcast networks that Republicans say have long been dominated by liberal positions.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Conservatives have accused liberal justices of injecting politics into rulings.—
Allan J. Lichtman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The film, which largely unfolds on Christmas Eve, has a wonderful sense of the dying light of a late December day, the transition from a shade of damp gray to the inky black of night, and, even better, an actual sense of a particular American place.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
-
This all sounds wonderful, but for me, oil control surpasses everything.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Frida — named for Frida Kahlo, the Mexican painter and revolutionary known for her surreal and deeply personal artworks — relies on community support from memberships, donations, and volunteers.—
Amy Bentley,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
-
The Romanticism that fueled Wordsworth’s poetic project fueled many of the revolutionaries too.—
Paul Kingsnorth,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Yet what distinguishes Bowles’s work—what animates those strange, angular sentences, with their unexpected rhythms and turns of phrase and rabid energy—isn’t its interest in nonconformity but its obsession with spiritual transformation.—
Nicole Flattery,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
-
In the United States, where rabid dogs are far less common due to effective rabies prevention programs, contact with infected bats is the leading cause of human rabies deaths.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Now, major Hollywood unions and progressive groups are pushing back, accusing ABC and its affiliates of censorship and demanding a boycott of Disney properties.—
Amanda Castro
Shane Croucher
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Without establishing any link to last week’s shooting, the Republican president and members of his administration have discussed classifying some groups as domestic terrorists, ordering racketeering investigations and revoking tax-exempt status for progressive nonprofits.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Another great addition is live captions and translation.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Praise feels great, ridicule or people not liking it doesn't.—
Steve Baltin,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
There is immense comfort in shared failure; there is immense career risk in an unconventional success that cannot be easily explained to a board.—
Benjamin D. Summers,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
And at last week’s Davis Cup qualifiers, an even weirder extension of the unconventional serve made a high-profile appearance.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Radical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/radical. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share