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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 acolytes 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 The park attracts Dolly acolytes from around the world and is also a major source of revenue for the region. — CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026 Two of her longtime video-art acolytes, David and Piper Cort, became her caregivers, inviting her to live in a trailer on their property in Massachusetts. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 Still, there’s a reason Inside the Actors Studio ran for 22 seasons and the most fervent alt-rap acolytes are constantly begging their idols to empty their hard drives. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 29 July 2026 Celebrated throughout Europe for decades, the enigmatic artist and ambassador of Georgian culture is finding new acolytes worldwide. — The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 28 July 2026 But while her style remains endlessly influential, most of Birkin’s make-up-averse acolytes are more likely to be multi-hyphenate creatives than, say, investment bankers with seven figures to spare. — Olivia Allen, Vogue, 21 July 2026 The other Founders had acolytes who promoted their legacy and preserved their records, but Wilson died a pariah, which kept him out of history books as the conventional narrative of the founding took shape. — Jesse Wegman, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026 Over the years, Smith has done only a select handful of collaborations with his acolytes, such as Chvrches, the Twilight Sad, Crystal Castles, Gorillaz, and Tweaker. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for acolytes
  1. adherents
  2. followers
  3. disciples
Noun
  • Breitbart has also published an article skewering Hamilton for suggesting that adherents of other religions might get to Heaven.
    — Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Its adherents believe that the relentless pursuit of maximizing individual freedom and rights has come at the cost of community, religion, and traditional norms.
    — Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of adherents
Noun
  • Summary An 11-year-old Ontario entrepreneur, Ashton Meyer, transformed his $10 bin cleaning side hustle into a viral success, gaining over 110,000 Instagram followers.
    — Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Today, Richards has 790,000 followers on Instagram, a Sunday Times bestselling book (The Anti-Inflammatory 30-day Reset), and wellness community called Found.
    — Bella Webb, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of followers
Noun
  • Jesus and his disciples encountered many instances of chaos but remained untouched by them.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The show lures corporate sponsors to the marketing mecca, where brands hope to convert experience seekers into true believers, eventually disciples.
    — Merlisa Lawrence Corbett, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of disciples

Browse Nearby Words

acolyte
acolytes
acoustic
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Cite this Entry

“Acolytes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/acolytes. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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