as in military
of or relating to a group that is not an official army but that operates and is organized like an army
Government forces have been attacked by heavily armed paramilitary groups in several villages. a paramilitary police force
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as in guerilla
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of paramilitary
Reuters, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
In 2018, the paramilitary People's Armed Police used dynamite and excavators to demolish a church in Linfen, Shanxi province, that served a congregation of 50,000.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
The strikes, launched by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces for the third day, attacked a terminal at the city's airport overnight on Tuesday.
—Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 6 May 2025
Sixteen members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan were arrested on suspicion of manufacturing rockets and drones to be used inside or outside Jordan, and many experts suspect they could be affiliated with Hamas or the paramilitary group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
—Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paramilitary
Adjective
Reuters — Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out a drone attack on a military air base and other facilities in the vicinity of Port Sudan Airport, a Sudanese army spokesperson said on Sunday, in the first RSF attack to reach the eastern port city.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
In 2018, the paramilitary People's Armed Police used dynamite and excavators to demolish a church in Linfen, Shanxi province, that served a congregation of 50,000.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
The strikes, launched by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces for the third day, attacked a terminal at the city's airport overnight on Tuesday.
—Emmanuel Akinwotu, NPR, 6 May 2025
Sixteen members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan were arrested on suspicion of manufacturing rockets and drones to be used inside or outside Jordan, and many experts suspect they could be affiliated with Hamas or the paramilitary group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
—Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paramilitary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paramilitary
Adjective
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And the clientele, many of whom are tenured University Professors, military veterans, ex-Navy seals, or otherwise adventurous retirees with means, mirrors that fact.—
Jennifer Leigh Parker,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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For example, Panama recently accepted a U.S. military flight with 119 deportees, who were then repatriated to their home countries.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Norfolk — the largest naval base in the world located in Portsmouth, Virginia — already floods 10 times a year because of elevated sea levels.—
Bella Kubach,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 May 2025
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The biennial event featured 102 aircraft and 35 naval ships from different nations.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
Noun
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Long gone are their red cloaks as their city is now out from under Gilead’s rule after success from the guerrilla resistance Mayday movement to take down the (fictional) fascist regime.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
26 May 2025
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Kim called the first vessel, named Choe Hyon—a famed Korean guerrilla fighter during the Japanese colonial period—a significant asset for advancing his goal of expanding the military's operational range and nuclear strike capabilities.—
Shane Croucher
John Feng,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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In response to the vote, Iraqi troops retook vast swathes of territory seized by Kurdish forces during their joint fight against the Islamic State militant group (ISIS).—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
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The ceasefire plan, which has been approved by Israeli officials, won a cool initial reaction Thursday from the militant group, but President Donald Trump said Friday that negotiators were nearing a deal.—
ABDEL KAREEM HANA,
Arkansas Online,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Under current policy, decisions to separate soldiers outside standard regulatory grounds rest solely with the secretary of the Army — a power typically reserved for exceptional circumstances.—
Eleanor Watson,
CBS News,
30 May 2025
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Federal prosecutors allege Tian sold sensitive military information to former soldier Ruoyu Duan, who would allegedly receive money from individuals residing in China.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2025
Noun
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The existence of the irregulars raises an important question: How small can a galaxy get?—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
8 May 2025
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The moons, observed from 2019 to 2021 at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, were placed into subgroups within two categories of Saturnian irregulars; the Inuit group contains the Kiviuq and Siarnaq subgroups, and the Norse group contains the Phoebe, Mundilfari, and Kari subgroups.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Pieced together, the bucket depicts a hunting scene featuring a warrior surrounded by animals.—
Lillian Ali,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 May 2025
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Voices Hiltzik: Right-wing culture warriors say wokeness is dead.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paramilitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paramilitary. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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