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
Garrett says the new protocols acknowledge that academic institutions have the responsibility to take steps for the safety of their researchers and protect them from potentially dangerous interactions with conspiracy theorists and other reactionary zealots.
—
Emma Gometz,
Scientific American,
12 June 2026
March 13, 2026 For Gen Z neophytes and hardcore fans overseas (South Asian and Nigerian Mike zealots apparently have a lot to say on the matter), the idea of MJ/Prince ever being a rivalry is laughable.
—
Keith Murphy,
VIBE.com,
7 June 2026
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
Emma Gometz,
Scientific American,
12 June 2026
March 13, 2026 For Gen Z neophytes and hardcore fans overseas (South Asian and Nigerian Mike zealots apparently have a lot to say on the matter), the idea of MJ/Prince ever being a rivalry is laughable.
—
Keith Murphy,
VIBE.com,
7 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zealots
Noun
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Reynolds tracks the willingness of northern partisans—Carl Schurz, Horace Greeley, Lyman Trumbull, and even Sumner himself—to abandon that cause by the dwindling references to Jamestown and Plymouth.
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Meanwhile, partisans continued to spar over dozens of Republican bills that would allow voters to lower property taxes for homeowners by raising sales taxes on everyone.
Noun
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The country is also home to several minority groups that have clashed with regime forces in the past, including Kurdish militants, Arab and Baloch separatists, among others.
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Since overthrowing the Assad dynasty and taking power in a lightning insurgency in December 2024, Syria’s new rulers have cracked down on militants from the extremist Islamic State group in an attempt to thwart attacks in and around the capital.
Noun
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The book is full of stories of villains, like the venomous heroin that took so many of Seattle’s crusaders as well as the music industry that never quite understood where Soundgarden belonged.
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The facility remains popular among anti-immigrant crusaders, and Attorney General Uthmeier’s campaign store sells Alligator Alcatraz bumper stickers, T-shirts, and caps.
Noun
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In recent years, thanks to the work of scholars, artists, and local activists, public awareness of the violence of 1898 has increased.
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Soon after Kushner announced his project, environmental activists began objecting to its potential ecological implications.
Noun
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For midcentury fanatics, look to Design Within Reach this week for up to 30% off thousands of icons, including these Rey dining chairs.
-
Together, the band brings to life a mythic world of ancient heroes and villains, attracting an excited audience of headbangers and fantasy fanatics, many of whom show up in costume.
Cite this Entry
“Zealots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/zealots. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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