as in nationalist
one who shows excessive favoritism towards his or her country a newspaper columnist who never manages to be anything other than a knee-jerk flag-waver

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Example Sentences

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 flag-waver For those two groups to get in not just over Carey and O’Connor, but more traditional rock and roll flag-wavers like Oasis and Lenny Kravitz, is also something of a shock. Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flag-waver
nationalist
Noun
  • His soul fretted in the shadow of his oppressor’s language, but the fiercely patriotic Irish nationalist—the citizen—is no hero either.
    Benjamin Hale June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
  • There is a huge difference between a devout Christian nationalist, which Boelter is, and a devout Christian — those who follow the way of Jesus.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Flag-waver.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flag-waver. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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