FLAG-WAVER Synonyms: 11 Similar and Opposite Words

flag-waver

noun

ˈflag-ˌwā-vər

Definition of flag-waver

as in nationalist

one who shows excessive favoritism towards his or her country a newspaper columnist who never manages to be anything other than a knee-jerk flag-waver

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of flag-waver Traditional Italian dance of the flag-wavers Sbandieratori doing stunts throwing their colorful flags in the air. — Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 12 Feb. 2026 Onstage at this month’s AmericaFest, the annual conference hosted by Kirk’s organization Turning Point, Aldean and his wife, Brittany, spoke openly about their role as country-music flag-wavers for the MAGA movement. — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025 For those two groups to get in not just over Carey and O’Connor, but more traditional rock and roll flag-wavers like Oasis and Lenny Kravitz, is also something of a shock. — Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for flag-waver

nationalist

Noun

As powerful as Diamanda’s performance was, however, that specific reference later came to mean more to me on a drunken road trip through Kosovo with a Serb nationalist.

— Matt Thompson, SPIN, 21 Aug. 2026
But Jewish religious nationalists, particularly uneducated young men, remain a threat, said John Munayer of the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue, an interreligious organization in Jerusalem.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of nationalist

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flagships

flag-waver

flag-wavers

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“Flag-waver.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flag-waver. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of flag-waver

noun

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