as in military
of or relating to a group that is not an official army but that operates and is organized like an army
Government forces have been attacked by heavily armed paramilitary groups in several villages. a paramilitary police force
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in guerilla
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paramilitary
Davis Winkie, USA Today, 27 May 2025
Sudan’s government has accused the Emirates of fueling genocide with its backing of the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group engaged in a civil war that has killed 150,000 and displaced 14 million people.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 17 May 2025
The once-vibrant city has been systematically destroyed and hollowed out by the brutal fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 25 Apr. 2025
The Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group is proscribed as a terrorist organisation and banned under UK law.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for paramilitary
Adjective
Kent's husband, Joe, is a former Army Green Beret and CIA paramilitary officer who is currently nominated to head the National Counterterrorism Center.
—Davis Winkie, USA Today, 27 May 2025
Sudan’s government has accused the Emirates of fueling genocide with its backing of the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group engaged in a civil war that has killed 150,000 and displaced 14 million people.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 17 May 2025
The once-vibrant city has been systematically destroyed and hollowed out by the brutal fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 25 Apr. 2025
The Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group is proscribed as a terrorist organisation and banned under UK law.
—Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for paramilitary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paramilitary
Adjective
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If any rioters attack ICE law enforcement officers, military personnel have the authority to temporarily detain them until law enforcement makes the arrest.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
11 June 2025
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He's also eliminated programs aimed at increasing diversity among military personnel, slashed the number of general officers and initiated efforts to build a $175 billion U.S. missile defense shield.—
Anne Flaherty,
ABC News,
10 June 2025
Adjective
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The Chinese military has frequently used waterways around Japan—including the Osumi Strait and the Miyako Strait—for naval deployments beyond the First Island Chain.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
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The 5,000-ton destroyer is the country’s newest warship and was meant to be a triumph of North Korea’s ambitious naval modernization effort.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
6 June 2025
Noun
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The early 2000s in Colombia, under President Andrés Pastrana, were years of intense violence by guerrilla gangs such as the FARC, who targeted wealthier Colombians.—
Clara-Sophia Daly,
Miami Herald,
7 June 2025
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Of course, while not testifying, Weinstein has been running a guerrilla PR campaign of sorts during the retrial.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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The aid group accused Hamas of carrying out the assault; the militant group has not yet responded to the allegations.—
Jade Walker,
CNN Money,
12 June 2025
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Some activists have been criticized for spreading messages seen as antisemitic or outright supportive of militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 June 2025
Noun
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Unlike earlier immigration marches this week, the No Kings protests are organized to counter the June 14 military parade in D.C., which includes tanks, military vehicles and thousands of soldiers.—
Bethany Wales,
Sacbee.com,
14 June 2025
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The last section includes 250 new recruits or soldiers who are reenlisting.—
Tara Copp,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2025
Noun
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The existence of the irregulars raises an important question: How small can a galaxy get?—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
8 May 2025
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The moons, observed from 2019 to 2021 at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, were placed into subgroups within two categories of Saturnian irregulars; the Inuit group contains the Kiviuq and Siarnaq subgroups, and the Norse group contains the Phoebe, Mundilfari, and Kari subgroups.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Harness the Power of Blue Carbon Mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes are all nature’s climate warriors and their restoration is essential for our survival.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
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The Pentagon would not confirm or deny the plans, but said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is committed to having ship names reflect a ‘warrior ethos.’ California leaders said Milk is a hero who deserves the honor of having a naval ship named for him.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paramilitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paramilitary. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
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