as in moderate
avoiding major social change or extreme political ideas
several centrist candidates were elected, apparently in a reaction against the extremists
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in middle-of-the-roader
a person who holds moderate views
the centrists will most likely rally behind the candidate who favors reforming the government program—not abolishing it entirely
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of centrist
ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
After the 2024 election, the Majority Democrats PAC was launched by centrist Democrats to recruit new candidates and challenge the party's more progressive wing.
—Gabe Kaminsky, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
The March 24 paper comes from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a centrist, nonpartisan think tank in the nation’s capital.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for centrist
Adjective
Before being unseated by centrist challenger Péter Magyar, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had threatened to cut gas supplies to Ukraine.
—ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026
After the 2024 election, the Majority Democrats PAC was launched by centrist Democrats to recruit new candidates and challenge the party's more progressive wing.
—Gabe Kaminsky, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026
Noun
Austria's three-party centrist coalition is now joining the trend.
—ABC News, 27 Mar. 2026
The March 24 paper comes from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a centrist, nonpartisan think tank in the nation’s capital.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for centrist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for centrist
Adjective
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Lamont, a fiscal moderate, has been reluctant to support spending that would exceed the cap on a recurring basis and would prefer legislators pay for extra town aid by finding offsetting cuts elsewhere in the budget.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
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Kempthorne, a moderate Republican, was elected mayor of Boise in 1985 at age 34, and he was credited with revitalizing the downtown by securing an agreement to build a convention center and promoting other development.—
Gene Johnson,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The fifth commission for the plinth on the High Line elevated park is an homage to the Buddhas of Bamiyan, the pair of 6th-century colossi in central Afghanistan that the Taliban blew up in 2001.—
Benjamin Sutton,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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In an industry where the typical sample is a size zero, weight has always been central to a model’s success.—
Rory Satran,
Vogue,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Centrist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/centrist. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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