as in patriots
one who shows excessive favoritism towards his or her country
a staunch nationalist who favored any policy that would give the country more power in the international arena
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Recent Examples of nationalists
In 1916, the Easter Rising against English rule in Dublin collapsed as Irish nationalists surrendered to British forces.
—
Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
Authorities said hundreds of Ku Klux Klan members, neo-Nazis and other White nationalists marched through the University of Virginia campus in 2017, shouting racist and antisemitic chants.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Nossiter said Guinea is also sensitive to the possibility that the pilots’ case could get amplified publicly by anti-Western nationalists in the country who might frame it as a sovereignty violation at a moment when Conakry is already wary of internal dissent.
—Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
The Treaty of Trianon looms large in the imagination of Hungarian nationalists.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026
Among the participants were socialists, ex-royalists, liberals, feminists, and nationalists.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2026
Encouraged and aided by independent neighbours, Guinean nationalists took up arms in 1962 and after 10 years of fighting expelled the Portuguese from three-quarters of Portuguese Guinea.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Two of its most high-profile residents have been described as Christian nationalists in local media.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026
For one, Pashtun nationalists will always have problems with a border that slices their heartland in two.
—Mihir Sharma, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
Authorities said hundreds of Ku Klux Klan members, neo-Nazis and other White nationalists marched through the University of Virginia campus in 2017, shouting racist and antisemitic chants.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
Nossiter said Guinea is also sensitive to the possibility that the pilots’ case could get amplified publicly by anti-Western nationalists in the country who might frame it as a sovereignty violation at a moment when Conakry is already wary of internal dissent.
—Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
The Treaty of Trianon looms large in the imagination of Hungarian nationalists.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026
Among the participants were socialists, ex-royalists, liberals, feminists, and nationalists.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2026
Encouraged and aided by independent neighbours, Guinean nationalists took up arms in 1962 and after 10 years of fighting expelled the Portuguese from three-quarters of Portuguese Guinea.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Two of its most high-profile residents have been described as Christian nationalists in local media.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026
For one, Pashtun nationalists will always have problems with a border that slices their heartland in two.
—Mihir Sharma, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nationalists
Noun
-
As a country born of genocide and built by slavery, the true patriots among us know that our greatest strength and salvation lie in our diversity.—
Melody Moezzi,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2026
-
April 18th is one of the most important dates in American history and marks the night riders warned fellow patriots that British troops were on the move.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Sacco knows better than most that political chauvinists of all kinds can point to past moments of injury and humiliation to justify any current cruelty or authoritarian project—an especially powerful appeal when those historical injustices are real.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
18 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
These influencers stoke online backlash and invite criticism from the right while charming casual fans and Democratic loyalists.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Replacing them with loyalists could help Warsh get rates down faster.—
Kevin Breuninger,Jeff Cox,Alex Harring,Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nationalists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nationalists. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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