ter·ror·ist
ˈter-ər-ist 
plural terrorists
: an advocate or practitioner of terrorism as a means of coercion
Opposition still runs high to the idea of releasing or bringing into U.S. prisons dozens of men widely considered dangerous terrorists even if many are not.
Less than three weeks before the Winter Olympics are set to begin in the Russian city of Sochi, police there have begun hunting for suspected terrorists allegedly plotting attacks.—
Time
Time
: or, relating to, or characteristic of terrorists or terrorism : practicing or involving violent acts of terror
a terrorist organization
The consequences of the U.S. response to the terrorist attacks of September 2001 will ramify for decades.—Joe Klein
Joe KleinThere is no margin for error when a real terrorist threat is present and the safety of the public, and the first responders, is in jeopardy.—Gary J. Laughlin
Gary J. LaughlinExamples of terrorist in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebThe Editors, National Review, 5 Aug. 2024
The cell was on its way to carry out a terror attack on an axis or in a community, but an aircraft eliminated the cell of five terrorists who were inside a vehicle, according to Hagari.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 5 Aug. 2024
Sara Ganim, USA TODAY, 5 Aug. 2024
The big picture: The UN announced Monday that those nine staffers will be fired, following an internal investigation that was spurred by Israel alleging that a dozen UNRWA employees were involved in the terrorist attack.
—Avery Lotz, Axios, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for terrorist 
Noun
In 2024, such a deal, however unsavory in theory, may have been the only way to avoid a flawed military commission process that would give the terrorists their best chance of one day winning something short of a lifetime sentence.
—The Editors, National Review, 5 Aug. 2024
The cell was on its way to carry out a terror attack on an axis or in a community, but an aircraft eliminated the cell of five terrorists who were inside a vehicle, according to Hagari.
—Landon Mion, Fox News, 5 Aug. 2024
Adjective
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III reverses an offer by military prosecutors to put the death penalty back on the table for the mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and two accomplices.
—Sara Ganim, USA TODAY, 5 Aug. 2024
The big picture: The UN announced Monday that those nine staffers will be fired, following an internal investigation that was spurred by Israel alleging that a dozen UNRWA employees were involved in the terrorist attack.
—Avery Lotz, Axios, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for terrorist
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'terrorist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Terrorist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terrorist. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
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