1
as in radical
being very far from the center of public opinion
a candidate with a lot of crazy, revolutionary ideas that no one seems to be going for
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in insurgent
taking part in a rebellion
revolutionary forces that were soundly defeated before reaching the capital
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in rebel
a person who favors rapid and sweeping changes especially in laws and methods of government
after the collapse of the Russian monarchy, the moderate socialists briefly governed until being overthrown by the Bolshevik revolutionaries
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in revolutionist
a person who rises up against authority
at first the government was not worried about this small band of unarmed revolutionaries
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of revolutionary
Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026
At the event, the firm exhibited its revolutionary Simrad AutoCaptain autonomous boating system on two vessels.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 8 Jan. 2026
Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 2025
Hatuey, the Taíno chief who fought the Spanish conquistadores and is known as the Americas’ earliest revolutionary, was a caudillo.
—Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for revolutionary
Adjective
Gates has long been bullish on the opportunities that the revolutionary technology offers, particularly in industries like healthcare and education.
—Noun
DiCaprio plays Bob Ferguson, a zealous revolutionary turned paranoid burnout, in the latest epic slice of Americana from master filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for revolutionary
Adjective
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The radical republic that replaced it bore little resemblance to the partner of 1778, having descended into chaos, executions, and ideological extremism that threatened neighboring states.—
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Such a gambit could well spell the end of NATO, as Denmark’s leader has warned, or at least its radical transformation, and test European unity, with huge implications for the continent’s security.—
Adjective
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And for two of those elections, in 1984 and 1988, the party endured a primary that pitted more establishment centrist candidates (Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis) against an insurgent firebrand Black populist, Rev. Jesse L. Jackson.—
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Although some analysts have suggested Starmer may quietly be pleased with the resignation of his main rival and potential successor, the toppling of Rayner caps off what has been a dreadful summer for Labour, in which the party has lost more ground in the polls to the insurgent Reform UK.—
Noun
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The London punk rebels seized the revolutionary spirit of 1977 with their raw manifesto The Clash, then refined their sound with the flawed Give ‘Em Enough Rope.—
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Meanwhile, over in Britain, a vibrant antiwar movement brought on motion after motion in Parliament to cease fire and end all offensive operations against the rebels.—
Adjective
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An extreme cold watch is issued when dangerously cold air temperatures or wind chill values are possible.—
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Here, sea level rise is accelerating at some of the most extreme rates on Earth, while hurricanes increasingly are swirling ashore with an unprecedented ferociousness.—
Adjective
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Prior to the Emancipation Proclamation, slavery was the law in the rebellious states.—
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This wretched regime is doomed to be overthrown by the risen populace and rebellious youth.—
Noun
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The collection drew inspiration from two seemingly distant sources: a still-life painting of a shirt collar by Joe Brainard, the prolific 1960s New York writer and artist, and a short story by Yu Dafu, the early 20th-century Chinese author and revolutionist.—
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In a country shackled and scarred by race, religion, gender, and class, much of that rationalized and reified by mainline American churches, the Disciples were genial revolutionists offering inclusion, education, and empowerment for those at the margins.—
Noun
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In Africa, extremists exploit ungoverned water scarcity to recruit and control populations.—
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The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil-rights group, has designated Tuberville as an anti-Muslim extremist based on past statements.—
Noun
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When the violence fails to stop after the formal Purge ends, two families must band together to escape the anarchists by crossing into Mexico, but with the United States under siege, surviving will be much more difficult than just making it through one deadly night.—
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For instance, few locals know this was once the location of anarchist activist and writer Emma Goldman's ice cream shop.—
Cite this Entry
“Revolutionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/revolutionary. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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