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
Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
The palace officials assured them the president was there, hashing out a plan with his military and Russian and Iranian advisers to confront the advancing rebel forces.
—Danny Makki, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Greg Norman , Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
The Romans were masters at using rewards and punishment to manage foreign states, from grants of citizenship to massacres of rebels.
—Barry Strauss, Time, 21 Oct. 2025
David Weigel, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Loosely inspired by real-life events, the film chronicled the tale of an undercover detective infiltraitng a coal mining community to expose a group of Irish-American miners rebelling against the mine owners.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
The 64-year-old actor famously portrays rebel leader Morpheus, captain of the Nebuchadnezzar, in the hit sci-fi action film franchise.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025
The palace officials assured them the president was there, hashing out a plan with his military and Russian and Iranian advisers to confront the advancing rebel forces.
—Danny Makki, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
Hegseth likened the Colombian rebel group to the al Qaeda terror group founded by Usama bin Laden in Afghanistan.
—Greg Norman , Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2025
The Romans were masters at using rewards and punishment to manage foreign states, from grants of citizenship to massacres of rebels.
—Barry Strauss, Time, 21 Oct. 2025
Verb
Americans rebelled against a king, then applied that same thinking to abolish slavery, then dismantle segregation.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2025
Loosely inspired by real-life events, the film chronicled the tale of an undercover detective infiltraitng a coal mining community to expose a group of Irish-American miners rebelling against the mine owners.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 17 Oct. 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 30 Oct. 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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