as in partisan
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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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 zealot Co-founder Raymond Cogan was a fan from his first ride, but became a zealot about a year later after hearing another cyclist putting the popular bike club down. —
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Mar. 2026 Lydia, naturally, has her own reasons for pairing Agnes and Daisy together, evolving from a ruthless zealot and disciplinarian in Handmaid’s Tale into a kind of double agent looking to overthrow Gilead from within the hallowed halls of power in Testaments, as the finale set her up to do. —Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026 The brightest spots are painted by Peter Diamandis, a technology zealot who makes the case for AI infusing humanity with once-unfathomable superpowers. —ABC News, 3 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 See All Example Sentences for zealot
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle, 13 Mar. 2026 Lydia, naturally, has her own reasons for pairing Agnes and Daisy together, evolving from a ruthless zealot and disciplinarian in Handmaid’s Tale into a kind of double agent looking to overthrow Gilead from within the hallowed halls of power in Testaments, as the finale set her up to do. —Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 5 Mar. 2026 The brightest spots are painted by Peter Diamandis, a technology zealot who makes the case for AI infusing humanity with once-unfathomable superpowers. —ABC News, 3 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 See All Example Sentences for zealot
Recent Examples of Synonyms for zealot
Noun
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Disrupting basic services to millions of Americans in such circumstances only makes sense to die-hard partisans.— U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
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That was the result of angry partisans taking seriously Trump’s bogus election-fraud claims.— Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In two separate encounters on Monday, the Israeli air force struck and killed Hezbollah militants that the military said approached its troops in a threatening way.— Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026
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Pakistan’s polio eradication program has been running anti-polio campaigns for years, though health workers and the police assigned to protect them are often targeted by militants who falsely claim the vaccination campaigns are a Western conspiracy to sterilize children.— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Over one year after the death of her fellow anti-Scientology crusader, ex-church official, and Emmy-winning Scientology and the Aftermath collaborator Mike Rinder, actress and former Scientologist Leah Remini has opened up about the pain of living life without her longtime friend.— Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
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Among other things, the New York Times story portrayed Lively as Hollywood’s latest #MeToo crusader, courageously exposing workplace abuses against women.— Martha Ross, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The conservative activist was addressing a crowd of thousands on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem when he was shot in the neck.— Matthew Brown, Chicago Tribune, 18 Apr. 2026
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While raising young children, Currie finally obtained her undergraduate degree in 1968 before working on the campaign of activist and lawyer Michael Shakman to be elected delegate to the 1969-70 constitutional convention.— Hannah Meisel, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Consider, Trump is the only world leader, Pope XIV included, who not only vowed to prohibit the apocalyptic fanatics in Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, but did something about it.— Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 18 Apr. 2026
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And for the aviation fanatic, ice cream stick planes never made the cut.— Victoria Le, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Zealot.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/zealot. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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