as in partisans
one who is intensely or excessively devoted to a cause
zealots on both sides of the issue resorted to name-calling and scare tactics
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Recent Examples of zealots
Bo-Katan explains the Mandalorians who raised Din and taught him to never show his face are religious zealots known as the Children of the Watch, who broke from Mandalorian society.
—
Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 16 May 2026
The apocalyptic religious zealots who ran the Iranian police state were on the verge of complete construction of a nuclear bomb.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Clara Molot talks to the zealots who are holding the line.
—Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 17 Mar. 2026
That title goes to the government of messianic zealots, Arab-hating nationalists and anti-modern ultra-Orthodox Israelis put together by Netanyahu to keep himself in power.
—Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2026
Public health often responds that MAHA supporters like Elizabeth, Melinda, and Nancy have been hoodwinked by social media influencers, grifters, and anti-vaccine zealots.
—Tom W. Johnson, STAT, 26 Jan. 2026
In rip-roaring zombie sequel, Sir Jimmy Crystal leads a gang of murderous zealots known as the Jimmies.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026
Then there are the Muslims depicted as religious zealots.
—Deena Elgenaidi, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
In that vacuum, religious zealots and cults manifest, nihilism thrives, and families are torn apart.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2025
Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 16 May 2026
The apocalyptic religious zealots who ran the Iranian police state were on the verge of complete construction of a nuclear bomb.
—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
Clara Molot talks to the zealots who are holding the line.
—Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 17 Mar. 2026
That title goes to the government of messianic zealots, Arab-hating nationalists and anti-modern ultra-Orthodox Israelis put together by Netanyahu to keep himself in power.
—Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2026
Public health often responds that MAHA supporters like Elizabeth, Melinda, and Nancy have been hoodwinked by social media influencers, grifters, and anti-vaccine zealots.
—Tom W. Johnson, STAT, 26 Jan. 2026
In rip-roaring zombie sequel, Sir Jimmy Crystal leads a gang of murderous zealots known as the Jimmies.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2026
Then there are the Muslims depicted as religious zealots.
—Deena Elgenaidi, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
In that vacuum, religious zealots and cults manifest, nihilism thrives, and families are torn apart.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zealots
Noun
-
The unprecedented corruption and self-dealing in the White House and the President’s family go entirely without oversight by partisans who once complained about Hunter Biden.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
This rhetoric is not just the thoughtless ramblings of mindless partisans.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Earlier this month, Amnesty International accused the military of killing 100 civilians at a market while targeting militants.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
-
The ministry, part of Gaza’s Hamas-run government, does not give a breakdown between civilians and militants.—
Suzan Fraser,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Since then, graduates have heard from prime ministers, presidents, Supreme Court justices, movie stars, civil-rights crusaders, and Taylor Swift.—
Jonathan Haidt,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
Anti-porn crusaders of all ilks also hijacked the news of Radvinsky’s passing for their various pro-censorship agendas.—
Gustavo Turner,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This, of course, was Pussy Riot, the performance artists and anti–Vladimir Putin activists who, since 2012, have disrupted a World Cup final, a Winter Olympics, and—most famous and at great cost—a Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow.—
Sebastian Smee,
The Atlantic,
16 May 2026
-
Prominent pro-trans activists criticized the move.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
For both Milne and Dermody, long-time Eurovision fanatics who have traveled to Vienna, the contest is somewhat diminished this year.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
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The differences have been between the more and the less patient, the cruder and the subtler, the slightly more compromising and the hard-core fanatics.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zealots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zealots. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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