Synonyms of defector

defector

noun

as in deserter

a person who abandons a cause or organization usually without right

the defector demanded political asylum in exchange for information about his nation's spying operations

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deserter
• traitor
• renegade
• rebel
• insurgent
• apostate
• revolutionary
• turncoat
• betrayer
• quisling
• recreant
• mutineer
• traitress
• turnabout
• insurrectionist
• abandoner
• double-crosser
• discontent
• dropout
• leaver
• revolutionist
• revolter
• insurrectionary
• refusenik
• red
• defier
• recusant
• revolutionizer
• refuser
• come-outer
• malcontent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disciple
• supporter
• follower
• loyalist
• adherent
• partisan
• militant
• fanatic
• zealot

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of defector

Note the poster of the defector Mikhail Baryshnikov hawking Crime and Punishment. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 25 June 2026

Anthropic, whose ranks include many safety-minded defectors from its rival, argues the slower rollout will help society adapt to the powerful new tools. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026

Daisy appears to be a Canadian defector hoping for acceptance within Gilead, but she’s actually been recruited as a spy by Moss, who continues her role as June Osborne from The Handmaid’s Tale. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 17 June 2026

The Cubs sign Cuban defector Jorge Soler to a nine-year contract worth $30 million. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026

Disclosure Day, based on an original story by Spielberg, centers on a decades-long government conspiracy to cover up the existence of alien life, and the group of defectors intent on releasing that intel to the public. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 11 June 2026

Heck, our homegrown liberal media and the city of San Francisco even celebrated Olympic defectors like Eileen Gu, who was paid by the Chinese Communist Party to compete for them in the 2026 Winter Olympics. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 June 2026

Anthropic, the lab founded by its own defectors, confidentially filed this week at a near $1 trillion valuation. — Rory McDonald, Fortune, 6 June 2026

While that's a steep legislative hill, a sizeable group of Republican senators has openly complained about the fund, leaving open the possibility that Democrats could lure across the aisle an embarrassing number of GOP defectors. — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 3 June 2026