LEFTIST Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

leftist 1 of 2

adjective

as in liberal

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Dissimilar Words

leftist

2 of 2

noun

as in pinko

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Dissimilar Words

capitalist

Example Sentences

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 leftist

Adjective

In her previous job as mayor of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum expressed outrage when a conservative critic proposed publicizing a list of prominent supporters of her leftist Morena political party. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 Americans and Europeans who identify as leftist or liberal tend to have fewer children than those who identify as conservative or right-leaning. — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026 Increasing the stakes is Florida’s connection to Latin America, given that many expats settled in the state after fleeing autocratic leftist regimes in Cuba and Venezuela. — Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026 In the more immediate future, how the leftist Democrats will impact Congress remains to be seen. — Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 In 2023, Chile’s leftist former President Gabriel Boric announced that while existing contracts would be honored, the state would take a stronger hand in the future development of the country’s lithium reserve. — Ariel Cohen, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Although de la Espriella won the election by only a slim margin, his victory was a rejection of Petro, who was term-limited and is considered the country’s first-ever leftist leader. — Daniel Castro, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2026 This week, Cuba commemorated Castro with events including the International Book Fair, art exhibitions, concerts and gatherings of delegates from leftist organizations across the continent. — ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026 The earthquake is one of the first major challenges for Colombia’s new far-right President Abelardo de la Espriella, who took office only last week and has promised to strike hard at criminal groups and leftist militants in Colombia. — Rocio Munoz, CNN Money, 12 Aug. 2026

Noun

The deepening rift comes as da Silva, a leftist, runs for a fourth term. — Rafi Schwartz, TheWeek, 14 Aug. 2026 Tuesday night was a very good night to be a leftist in New York City. — Philip Elliott, Time, 24 June 2026 Raman is more likely than Bass to pick up the voters who chose community organizer Rae Huang, a leftist who, like Raman, is a DSA member. — Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026 In New York, an inspiring young leftist competed against a boorish, but experienced, former governor to replace a corrupt mayor. — Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 31 May 2026 The president, Claudia Sheinbaum, is a leftist with a PhD in engineering who prides herself on her scientific background. — Mary Beth Sheridan, CNN Money, 17 May 2026 The last pope, Francis, could be filed away by American conservatives as an anti-American Latin American leftist, but Leo can’t. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 2 May 2026 Melton’s Austin starts as a baby leftist crying over a dead bee, then becomes torn between the authentic Korean cultural education Chairwoman Park claims to offer him and the increasingly ambitious Ashley, who wants to leverage Austin’s heritage for her own personal gain. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026 In nearby Venezuela, the rise of President Hugo Chávez, a leftist, in 1999 meant oil and aid began flowing again. — Carmen Sesin, NBC news, 16 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for leftist

Adjective

These speeches, which Ossoff writes himself, have become a sensation among liberal voters, fueling talk of a presidential bid.

— Sam Gringlas, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026
Rafał Trzaskowski, the liberal candidate, proposed restricting child welfare benefits for Ukrainians.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of liberal

Noun

With the Bombers’ bullpen depleted, the junk-balling lefty didn’t allow a baserunner while recording a three-inning save after Cole hit the showers.

— Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 21 Aug. 2026
Triple-A Rochester’s pitching staff is almost entirely composed of relievers at the moment, which has given a few pitchers (righty Zak Kent, lefty Jared Simpson) a shot to try the switch out in the interim.

— Spencer Nusbaum, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of lefty

Adjective

Israel launched the war in response to an October 2023 invasion by Hamas which blindsided Netanyahu’s religious-rightist government.

— Dan Williams, Fortune, 9 Aug. 2026
As rightist parties surge across the UK, Labour members are betting on Burnham — who easily won a parliamentary seat last week — to salvage their moribund agenda.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 21 June 2026

Definition of rightist

Noun

Taiwan has controlled the Kinmen and Matsu islands, which lie just off the Chinese coast, since the Republic of China government fled to Taipei in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong’s communists.

— Reuters, NBC news, 23 Aug. 2026
Republicans who claim that democratic socialists are like communists are either misinformed or deliberately using misleading rhetoric for political advantage.

— Tom Zirpoli, Baltimore Sun, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of communist

Adjective

All this makes for tough ground to defend, and a climate that’s all too hospitable to reactionary explanation.

— Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
Nostalgic without being at all reactionary, Mitchell’s riotously crowd-pleasing blockbuster takes both of Greg and Denise’s conflicting wishes to heart.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of reactionary

Noun

Menin, a centrist Democrat, has repeatedly challenged Mamdani, a democratic socialist, on progressive causes, including housing vouchers and now paraprofessional pay.

— Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026
The Democratic socialists winning these races is one of the few things that is going in Republicans’ favor in this general election.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of socialist

Adjective

Black Americans were struggling against the legacy of Jim Crow, and Abdeen interned with Ernest Goodman, a civil-rights lawyer who was reviving the National Lawyers Guild, a collective of progressive legal professionals.

— Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
Several political programs returned to the chart this quarter, including Mark Levin Podcast, Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar, The David Pakman Show, Pivot, and Piers Morgan Uncensored, spanning both progressive and conservative audiences.

— Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of progressive

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“Leftist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leftist. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of leftist

adjective

noun

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