ACOLYTES Synonyms: 61 Similar and Opposite Words

acolytes

noun

plural of acolyte

as in adherents

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of acolytes In my opinion, the president and his incompetent, corrupt acolytes have debased the office and dragged the good name of America through the mud. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026 Or, to put it in a way Greenberg and his acolytes believe, passionately, Jensen is playing a game of Lazy Susan. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026 In the years since, this has become less surprising, as Bordeaux has been replaced by Burgundy in the purchases of wealthier buyers and by the Loire in the case of young acolytes of natural wine. — Jay McInerney, Air Mail, 17 Oct. 2026 Deafheaven have long balanced playful disdain for black metal purism with a deeper understanding of the genre than either critics or acolytes of 2013’s Sunbather gave them credit for. — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026 The best O’Hara acolytes are the ones who encourage us to see the beauty in the world, attuned to torsos on a New York Street or the majesty of making eggs for a loved one. — Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026 The second, a runway show in February, expanded upon its connection to new money by fashioning buff male models as oligarchs and über thin female ones as their party girl acolytes. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 26 Sep. 2026 Newsom and other governors have repeatedly denied parole to his closest acolytes, though an appeals court overturned Newsom’s veto of the release of Leslie Van Houten in 2023. — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026 When the dazed young woman reels off quotes from an obscure self-help book, her new acolytes take her words as gnomic wisdom. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for acolytes

Noun

Since the administration kicked off its anti-AI doomerism social media campaign, taking particular aim at EA and its adherents’ belief that AI carries a high risk of ending humanity—anti-AI sentiment seems to have grown.

— Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
When brutal rationalism is challenged, especially by traditionalists, its defenders will often justify themselves by pointing to the intelligence of its adherents.

— Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of adherents

Noun

Her tens of millions of social media followers give her a platform far beyond her New York district, and her nickname, AOC, has become one of the most recognizable in American politics.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
Two fraudulent videos targeting the Senate candidate were posted on Tuesday on X by an account created last month that had few followers.

— Shannon Bond, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of followers

Noun

Obeying Christ, the soon-to-be disciples got a hands-on lesson in the power of deeper, more humble prayers rather than surface-level efforts.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026
In particular, Greek mathematician-philosopher Pythagoras and his disciples may have associated beans with reincarnation, so some thought eating them was technically an act of cannibalism.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of disciples

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acolyte

acolytes

acoustic

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“Acolytes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acolytes. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of acolytes

noun

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