1
a
: opposing or taking arms against a government or ruler
b
: of or relating to rebels
the rebel camp
2
rebelled; rebelling
1
a
: to oppose or disobey one in authority or control
b
: to renounce and resist by force the authority of one's government
2
a
: to act in or show opposition or disobedience
rebelled against the conventions of polite society
b
: to feel or exhibit anger or revulsion
rebelled at the injustice of life
Synonyms
Examples of rebel in a Sentence
Adjective
today's rebel chefs feel free to ignore the dictates of classic French cuisine
Noun
The government captured six armed rebels.
He was a rebel against the school administration.
He is a typical teenage rebel.
Verb
When the government imposed more taxes, the people rebelled.
The protesters are rebelling against the new tax law.
Children often rebel against their parents.
Recent Examples on the Web
Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 3 July 2024
Somewhere beyond the endless desert there is, however, a rebel settlement called Shambala, where the belief holds that a blessed mother will arrive one day to give birth to a savior who will set everything to rights.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 1 July 2024
Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 11 July 2024
The prior examples of his goofs and verbal stumbles have been re-aired and reexamined, giving ammo to the rebels, but the old war horse, who won his first Senate election at age 29 in 1972, still has the fight in him to hold off fellow Democrats.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 10 July 2024
Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 13 July 2024
When the plague descends on the island, the wily cook rouses his fellow staff to rebel and take over the mansion.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 9 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for rebel 
Adjective
Also, your celestial ruler, Mercury, will face off with the rebel planet shortly after — the same day the Sun makes its annual opposition to Pluto — which encourages you to be as adaptable as possible.
—Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 3 July 2024
Somewhere beyond the endless desert there is, however, a rebel settlement called Shambala, where the belief holds that a blessed mother will arrive one day to give birth to a savior who will set everything to rights.
—Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 1 July 2024
Noun
Because the Empire just beat the rebels on Hoth, the galaxy’s in turmoil.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 11 July 2024
The prior examples of his goofs and verbal stumbles have been re-aired and reexamined, giving ammo to the rebels, but the old war horse, who won his first Senate election at age 29 in 1972, still has the fight in him to hold off fellow Democrats.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 10 July 2024
Verb
Sometimes, when Harper exerted herself to maximum effort, either in a rowing race or a swimming race, her nervous system rebelled, and her body would occasionally shut down at the finish.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 13 July 2024
When the plague descends on the island, the wily cook rouses his fellow staff to rebel and take over the mansion.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 9 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for rebel
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rebel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near rebel
Cite this Entry
“Rebel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebel. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rebel
1 of 3 adjective
reb·el
ˈreb-əl 
1
: being or fighting against one's government or ruler
2
: not obeying
rebel
2 of 3 noun
: a person who refuses to give in to authority
rebel
3 of 3 verb
re·bel
ri-ˈbel
rebelled; rebelling
1
: to be against or fight against authority and especially the authority of one's government
2
: to feel or show anger or strong dislike
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share