as in adherent
one who follows the opinions or teachings of another
a highly influential economist whose acolytes can be found at many major universities
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of acolyte
Billy Idol, their frontman, was a member of the Bromley Contingent, an influential cluster of Pistols acolytes on the early punk scene, alongside Siouxsie Sioux and the archetypal model Soo Catwoman.
—
Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 5 Apr. 2026
An acolyte of Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel, Jenner swapped her litany of unbranded bags for a burgundy maxi flap bag from the designer’s spring 2026 debut.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2026
The song is an anthem for a lot of young musical-theater acolytes.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
There had always been a few Kennedy acolytes hanging around the block, Dean says, but that number has ballooned since Ryan Murphy’s Love Story premiered in February.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for acolyte
Alex Robert Ross, Pitchfork, 5 Apr. 2026
An acolyte of Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel, Jenner swapped her litany of unbranded bags for a burgundy maxi flap bag from the designer’s spring 2026 debut.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2026
The song is an anthem for a lot of young musical-theater acolytes.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
There had always been a few Kennedy acolytes hanging around the block, Dean says, but that number has ballooned since Ryan Murphy’s Love Story premiered in February.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for acolyte
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acolyte
Noun
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He’d been struck that the Milwaukee branch of the adherents to his cause were forever boasting about their superior sanitation systems.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
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TikTok obsessives, wellness-culture adherents, and misinformation junkies all end up in need of care.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Artists affiliated with the Wide Awakes have adopted the original group’s open-eye iconography to symbolize the new wave of followers’ social awakening.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Apr. 2026
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Streamers may have a variety of sources of income, including sponsorship, donations from followers, affiliate links, selling merchandise, and tournament winnings.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Kyle Shanahan disciple understands that a strong run game is a rookie quarterback’s best friend.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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Then last June, the Nuggets snatched Wallace back from Minnesota, hiring him as their new co-general manager alongside his friend Ben Tenzer — another longtime Connelly disciple who’d been a steady hand behind the scenes in Denver’s front office since 2013.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Acolyte.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acolyte. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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