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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of reactionary
Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 4 Jan. 2025
That happened in 1937, with a 5-4 vote (the minority votes came from the cadre of reactionary justices known then as the Four Horsemen).
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Most podcasters are extremely reactionary and critical pertaining team performances not emphasizing enough on the injuries, team morale treating them like a unit of robots.
—Gregg Evans, The Athletic, 20 Dec. 2024
His practice also appeals to those looking to avoid the pitfalls of standard, reactionary medical treatments in favor of more natural, preventive options.
—William Mullane, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reactionary 
Adjective
The Thatcher-Reagan neoliberal counterrevolution combined with reactionary populist anti-intellectualism to seemingly seal the ivory tower’s fate—and to attack universities as bastions of campus revolt and as alternative centers of civil society.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 4 Jan. 2025
That happened in 1937, with a 5-4 vote (the minority votes came from the cadre of reactionary justices known then as the Four Horsemen).
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
Most podcasters are extremely reactionary and critical pertaining team performances not emphasizing enough on the injuries, team morale treating them like a unit of robots.
—Gregg Evans, The Athletic, 20 Dec. 2024
His practice also appeals to those looking to avoid the pitfalls of standard, reactionary medical treatments in favor of more natural, preventive options.
—William Mullane, Austin American-Statesman, 14 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for reactionary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reactionary
Adjective
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The Supreme Court's conservative majority has historically been highly deferential to the government's position on matters of national security, but the justices are also likely to be cautious about a precedent-setting decision that could silence a wildly popular communication tool.Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2025
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On Wednesday afternoon, ABC News first reported that Trump spoke with conservative Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito one day before the president-elect asked the court for the immediate stay.Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Those conversations are centered around traditional Polynesian approaches to managing natural resources.Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Jan. 2025
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This will change the landscape of sports consumption and cause consternation for the traditional linear powers given its financial might.Chris Vannini, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Hegseth repeatedly deflected the various misconduct allegations and instead focused on his own combat experience in the Army National Guard as senators determine whether the combat veteran and former TV news show host is fit to lead the U.S. military.Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 15 Jan. 2025
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But just as important, say trauma veterans and professionals, is the psychological reconstruction — the Herculean challenge of restoring the sense of confidence and hope now also reduced to rubble.Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Funnels and Pinch Points Funnels and pinch-points are among the most orthodox stand locations during the rut.Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 14 Nov. 2024
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Harris emphasized distributional conflict at a time when few orthodox economists were doing so.John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near reactionary
Cite this Entry
“Reactionary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reactionary. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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