PATRIOTS Synonyms: 16 Similar and Opposite Words

patriots

noun

plural of patriot

as in loyalists

a person who loves his or her country and supports its interests and policies the contention that true patriots would be willing to do anything for their country

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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 patriots The families see themselves as patriots that are helping build important economic sectors in the United States and that is there's no insider information. — Terry Gross, NPR, 5 Aug. 2026 Debuting during America’s 250th anniversary amidst rising hate crimes, the project shifts the focus from defense to pride, honoring the Jewish patriots, scientists, and cultural icons who have shaped the nation since its founding. — Staff, FOXNews.com, 16 July 2026 Most of the symbol is believed to have been torn down by patriots at the onset of the revolution, though the surviving third remains at the church. — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 8 July 2026 The celebrations began last year, when the Ken Burns documentary on the American Revolution aired, and it was followed by a slew of books about the Founding Fathers, female patriots, the Fourth of July, and of course the Declaration itself. — Brenda Wineapple, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026 An estimated 62 percent of Fourth of July patriots plan to celebrate America’s 250th birthday with a cookout, barbecue or picnic this year. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 July 2026 The capsule installation was part of a joint ceremony with the unveiling of a park marker honoring patriots. — Alexandra Phelps, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026 One of those Yale student shows featured future patriots Nathan Hale and James Hillhouse as actors. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 June 2026 On the battlefield, American patriots were spilling their blood for the cause of freedom. — Douglas Brinkley, CBS News, 28 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for patriots

Noun

Forcing those carriers to stop flying to Russia would make life less comfortable for officials, oligarchs, and other wealthy loyalists of President Vladimir Putin.

— Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2026
That's kind of his thinking behind all of this -- to keep loyalists in these top jobs.

— Arthur Jones II, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of loyalists

Noun

Begin became prime minister in 1977, ushering in the rise of right-wing nationalists and sweeping out the socialist movement launched under Ben Gurion.

— CBS News, CBS News, 25 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 nationalists

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patriotism

patriots

patrol

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“Patriots.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patriots. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of patriots

noun

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