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
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
Abby Sewell, Fortune, 14 Dec. 2025
Al-Sharaa led the rebel forces that toppled Bashar Assad in December 2024 and was named the country's interim leader in January.
—Arkansas Online, 14 Dec. 2025
Kevin Whitaker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
The designer, part of a generation that revolutionized French fashion by ushering in ready-to-wear in the 1970s, has always been an outlier — a rebel who is also part of the establishment.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 13 Dec. 2025
Markus Wiechel, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Steve Honig, founder of The Honig Company, said the relatability in rebelling against social norms has viewers hooked.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Al-Baba said that Syria’s new authorities had faced shortages in security personnel and had to recruit rapidly after the unexpected success of a rebel offensive last year that intended to capture the northern city of Aleppo but ended up overthrowing the government of former President Bashar Assad.
—Abby Sewell, Fortune, 14 Dec. 2025
Al-Sharaa led the rebel forces that toppled Bashar Assad in December 2024 and was named the country's interim leader in January.
—Arkansas Online, 14 Dec. 2025
Noun
This assistance gave Colombian security forces the strength and mobility required to take on the armed rebels.
—Kevin Whitaker, Foreign Affairs, 15 Dec. 2025
The designer, part of a generation that revolutionized French fashion by ushering in ready-to-wear in the 1970s, has always been an outlier — a rebel who is also part of the establishment.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 13 Dec. 2025
Verb
Since the 1960s, the Cuban dictatorship has supplied weapons, training and safe hideouts to rebel groups causing chaos in Latin America.
—Markus Wiechel, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2025
Steve Honig, founder of The Honig Company, said the relatability in rebelling against social norms has viewers hooked.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Cite this Entry
“Rebel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebel. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
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
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