paramilitary 1 of 2

Definition of paramilitarynext
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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paramilitary

2 of 2

noun

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 paramilitary
Adjective
The war erupted in April 2023 after former allies Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, head of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), fell out in a power struggle. Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 20 July 2026 Tabriz is believed to host underground missile bases run by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
Noun
A number of police stations, locations related to the security forces — including the Basij paramilitary — and intelligence facilities across Tehran have been targeted by airstrikes, CBS News producer in Tehran, Seyed Bathei, reports. CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026 Golshan Fathi, a woman living in Tehran, said the Basij paramilitary, which played a key role in the bloody crushing of mass protests last month, was showing a heavy presence in the streets of the capital. Arkansas Online, 2 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for paramilitary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paramilitary
Adjective
  • Netanyahu is desperate for the US to resume its military campaign against Iran in earnest.
    Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Under Assembly Bill 481, law enforcement agencies are required to obtain approval prior to the purchase or use of military equipment, along with an annual report of how the technology has been deployed in the previous year.
    Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • These revelations have been met by a growing guerilla mindset among average citizens.
    T.M. Brown, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
  • In the 1960s, the architect Cedric Price, prompted by the guerrilla director Joan Littlewood, came up with — but never built — Fun Palace, a scaffolding that could be infinitely rejiggered to meet its users’ needs for leisure, play, and performance.
    Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026
Adjective
  • Chinese military affairs expert Song Zhongping said the Type 076 amphibious assault ship marks a significant technological advance, introducing new possibilities for naval operations.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Unless Washington provides another naval destroyer, he will be forced to choose defense of the United States over Israel, the report claimed, as the Iran war has put a strain on Washington’s military arsenal.
    Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Ormund seemingly isn’t scared to learn that enough soldiers to fill a basketball arena are about to bang down the door.
    Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Saldaña plays Joe McNamara, a CIA station chief leading the covert Lioness unit, which recruits and trains female soldiers for global counter-terrorism missions, balancing this with a challenging family life.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • The militant group Hamas has reached an agreement with the Board of Peace – tasked with implementing a long term ceasefire plan in Gaza – to relinquish its weapons, a senior official told CNN on Friday.
    Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
  • Some Israeli strikes and militant attacks have continued since then.
    Emma Nicholson, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Noun
  • Setting off in pursuit was José María Zuloaga, a taciturn lieutenant colonel in the Mexican army supported by a band of irregulars.
    Carolina A. Miranda, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
  • Some galaxies, known as irregulars, don't fit neatly into either mold.
    Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster has kicked off debates about geopolitics, a dark-skinned woman as Helen of Troy and a trans actor playing a Greek warrior.
    John Blake, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The finale, set in autumn, concerns an accident of nature—a warrior is struck by lightning, in full view of Murashige and his other men—that turns out not to have been so accidental.
    Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026
Noun
  • Back at the base, the team is still bickering with the other troopers.
    Andy Andersen, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Hicks said an off-duty state trooper and an armed citizen — whose identities weren't immediately disclosed — both fired back and diverted the gunman from the restaurant.
    ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Paramilitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paramilitary. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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