as in objections
a feeling or declaration of disapproval or dissent
submitted an official protest about her treatment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in claims
to state as a fact usually forcefully
he protested that he usually was very good at baseball, and all the strikeouts were just bad luck
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in objects
to present an opposing opinion or argument
plans to protest against the judge's ruling regarding admissible evidence
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 protests
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
It’s also widely seen as part of a broader vision to ensure national security under Xi, who came to power in 2012 following widespread 2008 protests in Tibet and deadly unrest in Xinjiang, home to its Uyghur minority.
—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
1 July 2026
The protests came after months of unrest that have drawn international criticism as foreigners have been driven from their homes and seen their businesses and property vandalized.
—
Reuters,
NBC news,
1 July 2026
The Justice Department portrays the group as antifa militants, while defense lawyers and civil liberties advocates warn the case could reshape how protests and free speech rights are prosecuted nationwide.
—
Jamie Stengle,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2026
The protests became a flash point, sparking similar incidents in several other cities in Tennessee and at least one in Florida.
—
Rachel Tepper Paley,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 July 2026
The case has been closely watched by critics who say the prosecution could have wide-reaching impact on protests and First Amendment free-speech rights.
—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
Eurovision has been roiled in recent years by protests over the participation of Israel, a competitor since 1973.
—
ABC News,
1 July 2026
The mural was commissioned by Bowser and painted by local artists and city workers on June 5, 2020, during the nationwide protests following the murder of George Floyd.
—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
27 June 2026
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
Investigators ask for patience after video sparks protests The police department provided the findings of the investigation to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for an independent review of any criminal violations, Fraser said.
—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Woman, Life, Freedom protests The 2020 election of Joe Biden led to tentative efforts to restore the JCPOA, but any progress made was squashed by the 2021 election of hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi as president of Iran.
—
Tracy Grant,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 Mar. 2026
Then that correction gets a correction from Andy, who protests that Lisa was really only a villain her last year of Housewives.
—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
The 46-year-old attorney frequently protests at Broadview and also volunteers as a rapid responder, reporting on federal agents’ activities in neighborhoods.
—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
Trevor protests the corridors ahead are filled with guards, motion sensors, and biometric security—but Simon has figured another way out.
—
Jp Mangalindan,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
Iran protests spark reaction abroad Videos of demonstrations have stopped coming out of Iran, likely signaling the slowdown of their pace under the heavy security force presence in major cities.
—
Dallas Morning News,
15 Jan. 2026
Walz is asking anyone who protests to do so in a peaceful way.
—
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
In Portland, Oregon, a statue of Lincoln is set to be reinstalled after it was pulled off its pedestal in 2020 amid national social justice protests that followed the killing of George Floyd.
—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
2 July 2026
It’s also widely seen as part of a broader vision to ensure national security under Xi, who came to power in 2012 following widespread 2008 protests in Tibet and deadly unrest in Xinjiang, home to its Uyghur minority.
—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
1 July 2026
The protests came after months of unrest that have drawn international criticism as foreigners have been driven from their homes and seen their businesses and property vandalized.
—
Reuters,
NBC news,
1 July 2026
The Justice Department portrays the group as antifa militants, while defense lawyers and civil liberties advocates warn the case could reshape how protests and free speech rights are prosecuted nationwide.
—
Jamie Stengle,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2026
The protests became a flash point, sparking similar incidents in several other cities in Tennessee and at least one in Florida.
—
Rachel Tepper Paley,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 July 2026
The case has been closely watched by critics who say the prosecution could have wide-reaching impact on protests and First Amendment free-speech rights.
—
Steven Rosenbaum,
CBS News,
1 July 2026
Eurovision has been roiled in recent years by protests over the participation of Israel, a competitor since 1973.
—
ABC News,
1 July 2026
The mural was commissioned by Bowser and painted by local artists and city workers on June 5, 2020, during the nationwide protests following the murder of George Floyd.
—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
27 June 2026
Verb
Protest Passion Project The Climb was first unveiled by Beta Cinema at the European Film Market in February 2022, with Delevingne (Carnival Row) attached as a daredevil climber who protests against oil drilling in the Arctic by ascending The Shard.
—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
Investigators ask for patience after video sparks protests The police department provided the findings of the investigation to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for an independent review of any criminal violations, Fraser said.
—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Woman, Life, Freedom protests The 2020 election of Joe Biden led to tentative efforts to restore the JCPOA, but any progress made was squashed by the 2021 election of hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi as president of Iran.
—
Tracy Grant,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 Mar. 2026
Then that correction gets a correction from Andy, who protests that Lisa was really only a villain her last year of Housewives.
—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
The 46-year-old attorney frequently protests at Broadview and also volunteers as a rapid responder, reporting on federal agents’ activities in neighborhoods.
—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
Trevor protests the corridors ahead are filled with guards, motion sensors, and biometric security—but Simon has figured another way out.
—
Jp Mangalindan,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
Iran protests spark reaction abroad Videos of demonstrations have stopped coming out of Iran, likely signaling the slowdown of their pace under the heavy security force presence in major cities.
—
Dallas Morning News,
15 Jan. 2026
Walz is asking anyone who protests to do so in a peaceful way.
—
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protests
Noun
-
The politically complicated situation has raised a few eyebrows — and ethical concerns — among some aldermen who passed the legislation allowing VGTs over the objections of Mayor Brandon Johnson.
-
When New England became a stop on major international trade routes, the multicultural floodgates opened and Puritan objections to things like fashion, elaborate design, lavish displays of wealth and other things deemed excessive were being continually, casually challenged.
Verb
-
Now a controversial study claims that working from home worsened mental health.
-
The video claims to show a FAB-500 aerial glide bomb destroying a UAV command post near Novopavlovka and a temporary deployment area in the Kherson region.
Verb
-
But putting storage on display in the name of democratizing culture assumes objects’ accessibility is only about space and physical access, and that curatorial interpretation is a screen rather than a bridge to the thing itself.
-
Newsom also objects to the California billionaire tax because the revenues would mainly be used to fund state spending on Medicaid, and not on other needs.
Noun
-
Back in 2018, there were complaints about the ads.
-
The breakdown came after years of increasingly frequent complaints about train delays and service interruptions.
Verb
-
Yet park rangers continued to cite Hubbard under that section, issuing two misdemeanor citations in May 2025, as well as a third that cited a different section of the ordinance, the most recent lawsuit alleges.
-
The charge alleges a person knowingly defrauded another by using false or misleading information to obtain money, property, credit or a loan.
Verb
-
If he had been forced to stick with readily available materials, Rashid complains, the deck behind the house would have been green or brown.
-
The document complains about trade, customs officers, juryless courts, and judges’ salaries.
Noun
-
The immigration agency had already implemented heightened vetting of candidates and stricter reviews of disability exceptions to the English and civics requirements earlier in 2025.
-
There were exceptions to the lack of art in the mainstream Christian Connecticut cultural domain.
Verb
-
Now the glowing screen sits in each person’s hand, and every feed insists that its user is seeing something different.
-
Lasdun, by contrast, insists on delivering a meticulous retelling of the Murdaugh case, complete with byzantine subplots involving the suspicious death of the family’s housekeeper and the murder of another local teenager.
Cite this Entry
“Protests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protests. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
