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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Veterans and active military personnel with PTSD, TBI, MST, suicidal ideation and other mental health challenges cannot keep waiting for help.—
Daniel Bean,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 May 2025
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Hunting is allowed on some existing military reservations, according to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
18 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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This past week, a tragic accident happened when the Mexican Navy’s training ship, Cuauhtémoc, crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge, claiming the lives of a young naval cadet and a sailor while also leaving others seriously injured.—
Eric Adams,
New York Daily News,
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.—
Kim Tong-Hyung,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Israel blames civilian casualties on Hamas because the militant group operates from civilian areas.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2025
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Saturday's summit comes two months after Israel ended a ceasefire reached with the Hamas militant group in January.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 May 2025
Noun
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Pantoliano’s character, Angelo, was a soldier in the infantry, stationed in Hawaii in 1941.—
Carrie Wittmer,
Vulture,
19 May 2025
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Named by Variety as one of 10 Spanish directors to watch in 2022, Azorín delivers a dual-timeline narrative set in Roman baths, where a 21st-century boy shares a hot bath with a 1st-century Roman soldier, both reflecting on their own frailty.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
19 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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Wars claim the lives of innocent children as well as warriors.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2025
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The story follows seven warriors on a top-secret mission: to transport 99 coffins as a strategic diversion designed to mislead hostile forces.—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
15 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Paramilitary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paramilitary. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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