as in conservative
tending to favor established ideas, conditions, or institutions
reactionary guardians of proper English usage invariably regard every new coinage that comes along as a nonword
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in rightist
a person whose political beliefs are centered on tradition and keeping things the way they are
reactionaries tried to stop the passage of the legislation extending civil rights
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fogey
a person with old-fashioned ideas
a reactionary in the nation's ongoing culture war, she seems to believe that watching any TV at all will rot your brain
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reactionary
The Learning Network, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
Martini was a key figure in a group of churchmen who met annually in St. Gallen, Switzerland, to ponder how best to blunt John Paul and Ratzinger’s reactionary thrust.
—Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025
With the trade deadline just a few days away, Durant believes that other teams could make reactionary moves to this deal.
—Matt Levine, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
This lack of preparedness mirrors the COVID-19 hysteria and reactionary approach whereby lockdowns and mask mandates were instituted only after thousands of Americans had already been infected and hospitalized.
—Omer Awan, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reactionary
Adjective
And further, that the mainstream obsession with the genre has made our legal system more reactionary and more fixated on punishment?
—The Learning Network, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
Martini was a key figure in a group of churchmen who met annually in St. Gallen, Switzerland, to ponder how best to blunt John Paul and Ratzinger’s reactionary thrust.
—Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025
With the trade deadline just a few days away, Durant believes that other teams could make reactionary moves to this deal.
—Matt Levine, Newsweek, 2 Feb. 2025
This lack of preparedness mirrors the COVID-19 hysteria and reactionary approach whereby lockdowns and mask mandates were instituted only after thousands of Americans had already been infected and hospitalized.
—Omer Awan, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for reactionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reactionary
Adjective
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The report came from the Maine Wire, an online outlet founded by a conservative think tank based in the state.—
Jennifer Smith Richards,
ProPublica,
11 Mar. 2025
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To justify this clampdown, Putin has evoked the defense of Russian sovereignty and conservative Christian values against the decadent liberal West.—
Michael McFaul,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Metamask Card Brings Crypto Natives Real World Utility The critical innovation now happening is connecting these stablecoins directly to everyday payment systems without sacrificing self-custody: a principle that separates crypto from traditional finance.—
Boaz Sobrado,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
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Bell pepper is traditional in Company Casserole, but feel free to add in your preferred vegetables.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Stafford and the Rams agreed to a contract adjustment on Friday, ending several weeks of speculation about the 16-year veteran’s future.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2025
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The reporter asked if Mr. Trump is considering what the administration can do to help those veterans salvage their lives.—
Kathryn Watson,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Gone now is the academic theology, replaced by a pastor who is more interested in talking about Jesus on a personal level and leaving questions about orthodox doctrine to rulings from the Roman Curia.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
28 Feb. 2025
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Understanding the Concept of Fire Watch A fire watch is a safety protocol instigated when a property's orthodox fire prevention measures are compromised, or altogether missing.—
Kyle Russell,
Austin American-Statesman,
22 Nov. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Reactionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reactionary. Accessed 16 Mar. 2025.
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