as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel
the level of militance varied significantly among the activist groups
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of militance
The flamboyance, militance, and violence of the 1960s left might not have worked right away, after all.
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Samuel Goldman, The Week, 6 Jan. 2022
The human relationship to fire on this specific piece of land was not always one of fear, anxiety, and militance.
—Manjula Martin, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2021
As spring turned to summer and the pandemic seemed to be at its end, the Haredim reunited, bonded at first by impatience with public-health guidelines and then by a growing militance about the central government’s response.
—New York Times, 25 Feb. 2021
This is compounded by the economic impacts of the Trump trade pressures, the global backlash of the Hong Kong National Security Law, the declining fortunes of national technology champion Huawei, and other reactions to growing China militance and chauvinism.
—Therese Shaheen, National Review, 1 Sep. 2020
That militance was frowned upon by Isaacson and others who favored a civilized political approach.
—BostonGlobe.com, 26 Dec. 2019
Love shows up, even in power struggles where Queen’s militance clashes with Slim’s attempts at being level headed.
—Jasmine Grant, Essence, 3 Dec. 2019
The Great Depression and America’s 1941 entry into WWII posed some complicated challenges to this legacy, as labor militance took a back seat at times of national emergency.
—Kim Kelly, The New Republic, 27 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for militance
Noun
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His reckless decision to escalate the aggression and number of immigration agents is a causal factor, regardless of the outcome of an investigation into this tragic death.—
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When the music dissolves into an ethereal, ambient soundscape and a psychedelic, spiritual journey, that’s where finding the right amount of energy, aggression, violence, and grief, to support the story and to explain things that the dialog couldn’t, was the most challenging part.—
Noun
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The 2026 version of the San Diego Mojo is built on a blend of toughness and aggressiveness that shines through with a relentless defense that extends rallies and attempts to frustrate the offense on the other side of the net.—
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Davion Mitchell’s defense and aggressiveness?—
Noun
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After years of fighting for its survival in the face of hacks and growing regulatory hostility, crypto’s fortunes abruptly change.—
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Jewish and civil rights groups blasted the move as weakening safeguards, fueling criticism that Mamdani’s early agenda signals hostility toward Israel and the Jewish community.—
Noun
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He is widely viewed as a loyal enforcer of the regime, combining ideological militancy with control over security and logistics.—
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Police have previously said the men were inspired by the Islamic State, with homemade flags of the militant group found in their car after the attack, and a monthlong trip by the pair to a Philippine island previously plagued by militancy a major focus of investigation.—
Noun
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Overnight, a show of defiance inside Venezuela from Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello Rondón, who posted a video to social media making his allegiances clear.—
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During her own allocution moments later, Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, likewise struck a note of defiance and introduced herself as the First Lady of Venezuela, her face appearing bruised and bandaged.—
Cite this Entry
“Militance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/militance. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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