saboteur

noun

sab·​o·​teur ˌsa-bə-ˈtər 

-ˈtu̇r,

-ˈtyu̇r

: one that practices sabotage

Examples of saboteur in a Sentence

The car's tires were slashed by saboteurs.

Recent Examples on the Web

These strands, which conduct information as pulses of light, have long been vulnerable to accidental damage by fishing trawlers and curious marine predators; more recently, there are fears that they’ve been targeted by saboteurs in the Baltic and the Taiwan Strait. —Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 19 May 2025

Police suspected both pranksters and international saboteurs, with public concerns about possible Russian involvement, Reuters reported. —Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025

Simon explored tensions between disbelief and faith, envisioned the Lord as both guardian and saboteur, and seldom arrived at definitive answers to his probing thoughts. —Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025

The intelligence service also warned that saboteurs may impersonate employees of groups like the Red Cross or United Nations. —Eve Sampson, New York Times, 16 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, from saboter

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for saboteur

• amateur
• connoisseur
• kieselguhr
• monseigneur
• procureur
• retransfer
• silencer
• voyageur
• birr
• blur
• bur
• cur

Kids Definition

saboteur

noun

sab·​o·​teur ˌsab-ə-ˈtər 

-ˈt(y)u̇(ə)r

: a person who performs sabotage