as in partial
inclined to favor one side over another
a shamelessly partisan reporter covering the primary campaign
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also partizan
1
as in adherent
one who follows the opinions or teachings of another
partisans of the charismatic leader refuse to tolerate any criticism of him at all
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in militant
one who is intensely or excessively devoted to a cause
a partisan of the revolution who was even willing to give her life for it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sectarian
one who stubbornly or intolerantly adheres to his or her own opinions and prejudices
she's too much of a political partisan to ever concede that the other side might have a valid point
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of partisan
New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2026
The cross-partisan demand is already there.
—Justin Rosenstein, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026
Like most of the foreign intelligentsia, such as Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos, and the New York Times correspondent Herbert Matthews, all of whom had come to Madrid to cover the war, Martha arrived in Spain a passionate partisan.
—Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for partisan
Adjective
However, four of the commissioners on the state PCFB are also the highly partisan commissioners of the state Board of Elections, Democrats Essma Bagnuola and Henry Berger and Republicans Anthony Casale and Peter Kosinski.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 30 Mar. 2026
The cross-partisan demand is already there.
—Justin Rosenstein, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Noun
Millions of Democrats in Texas, Republicans in California and partisans in other states have been effectively disenfranchised, their voices rendered mute.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026
Like most of the foreign intelligentsia, such as Ernest Hemingway, John Dos Passos, and the New York Times correspondent Herbert Matthews, all of whom had come to Madrid to cover the war, Martha arrived in Spain a passionate partisan.
—Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for partisan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for partisan
Adjective
-
The partial shutdown of the Bay Bridge on Wednesday evening was due to a car chase, San Francisco police said.—
Jose Fabian,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Investigators also reported discovering a partial bare footprint inside the home, later finding that Oninski’s left foot was stained with what appeared to be blood.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Leftism thus constitutes an ongoing search for new causes to fight on behalf of, in a way that mobilizes adherents and creates solidarity among them.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Both romantic trends have adherents who spin their retreat from status quo romance as a kind of liberation from modern expectations, and who position their marital arrangement as the logical extension of a deeper political project.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Israel, meanwhile, saw Nasser’s rising influence across the Arab world as a danger, and wanted an excuse to cut him down, and to target Palestinian fedayeen militants who were operating in Gaza and the Sinai Peninsula, which were both controlled by Egypt at the time.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Israel’s war with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon also is intensifying, while the disruption of the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf has upended the global economy.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Iraqi prime minister at the time, Nuri al-Maliki, was a Shiite sectarian with close ties to Iran, and many of his fellow Shia thought he could be relied on to listen to Iran’s wishes and find a way to avoid clashing with an Iranian proxy militia.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Both sides insist the other initiated the initial volley of gunfire that killed four agents and six sectarians.—
Joshua Alston,
Variety,
12 Apr. 2023
Adjective
-
The 45th president’s victory in the crowded 2016 primary effectively toppled the existing Republican Establishment, injecting the party with a combination of populism and distrust that was especially hostile to the way things were done before.—
Alex J. Rouhandeh,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Customers will keep fighting back with dirty returns, unused reservations and hostile reviews.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And what struck me as really interesting is just how many members were part of these groups and how many of these groups there are, specifically on Reddit, some of which have upwards of a million followers.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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Late last week, Lindsey Buckingham dropped a very tantalizing tidbit while speaking to his Instagram followers about his future plans.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Through gestures big and small, Bruce Friedrich conforms to the archetype of a lifelong anti-meat crusader.—
Andrew Zaleski,
The Atlantic,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Anti-porn crusaders of all ilks also hijacked the news of Radvinsky’s passing for their various pro-censorship agendas.—
Gustavo Turner,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Two of its most high-profile residents have been described as Christian nationalists in local media.—
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Wilson, its most prominent leader, identifies as a Christian nationalist and preached at the Pentagon in February at Hegseth’s invitation.—
Tiffany Stanley,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Partisan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/partisan. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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