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
Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
Now more than 80 years old, the San Diego County Taxpayers Association is a nonprofit, non-partisan government watchdog organization.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2026
Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Tribalism renders too many partisans unable to think ahead more than one election.
—Washington Post Editorial Board, Twin Cities, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for partisan
Adjective
The law made Indiana the 10th state to allow partisan affiliations in school board races.
—Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 21 June 2026
Now more than 80 years old, the San Diego County Taxpayers Association is a nonprofit, non-partisan government watchdog organization.
—Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2026
Noun
With a large pack of Democrats running and just two serious Republican contenders, Democratic partisans feared their fractured vote would let the GOP nab both spots in Tuesday’s top-two primary.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026
Tribalism renders too many partisans unable to think ahead more than one election.
—Washington Post Editorial Board, Twin Cities, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for partisan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for partisan
Adjective
-
Marshall, a Boston-area native who now lives in Queens, allegedly repeatedly failed to pay her workers or gave them only partial payments.—
Katie Houlis,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
The aftermath of the heist sparked multiple partial closures, delayed openings, and staff strikes this past December and January, with staff saying they are overworked and understaffed and that the museum needed greater investment in its infrastructure.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Many today argue that those who flooded into the nation’s legislative hall were the true adherents of American patriotism.—
Dr. Matthew Warshauer,
Hartford Courant,
17 June 2026
-
Physics Universal Love Language, the second album by Syrian-Armenian-American singer Káryyn, is tuned to 432hz, a standard that is, according to new age adherents, more in line with the hum of the universe.—
Alex Robert Ross,
Pitchfork,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Pakistani Taliban militants and other armed groups also operate in the region.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 June 2026
-
Sullivan and Sodais watched together as the militants seized Herat.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
21 June 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
-
But if his intention is a quick rate cut, the new chairman might be entering a hostile work environment.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
-
French, American, British and other naval crews already have experience of escorting civilian ships through hostile fire in the region.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
While Fed followers see Warsh’s task forces as an ambitious campaign to reevaluate nearly every part of the Fed’s policy-setting process, the harsh language the chairman previously used to describe the Fed was largely absent from his remarks last week.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
22 June 2026
-
With over 9,000 followers on Instagram, owners Jones and his wife Ana curated a strong social media presence that created a steady stream of familiar shoppers.—
Delia Rose Sauer,
Miami Herald,
22 June 2026
Noun
-
The book is full of stories of villains, like the venomous heroin that took so many of Seattle’s crusaders as well as the music industry that never quite understood where Soundgarden belonged.—
Selena Fragassi,
SPIN,
9 June 2026
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Fearless and willing to brawl for her convictions, Teela, who is the biological daughter of the Sorceress and adopted daughter of the Man-At-Arms, teaches He-Man how to be a crusader of Eternia.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
The group at the center of the feud, the UPA, was founded by nationalists loyal to Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
20 June 2026
-
As the 1956 Suez Crisis helped crystallize an alliance between Arab nationalists and the Soviet Union, this anti-Zionist ideology took root in the Middle East.—
Adam Louis-Klein,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Partisan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/partisan. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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