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
EW.com, 25 Apr. 2025
The civil war in Sudan, between the government’s SAF and the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has just passed its grisly second anniversary.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels’ goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.
—Aijaz Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Sara Merican, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2025
When getting around is arduous and unsafe, workers rebel against their commutes, depressing the value of commercial buildings.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 18 Apr. 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
Plutarch, future Head Gamemaker of the 75th Hunger Games and commander of the rebel forces, is a young Capitol cameraman in this timeline who is tasked with documenting the tributes of District 12.
—EW.com, 25 Apr. 2025
The civil war in Sudan, between the government’s SAF and the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has just passed its grisly second anniversary.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
In confrontations with both India and Iran, Pakistan has consistently denied offering safe haven to transnational rebels at a time when the country was struggling to stem a deadly wave of attacks by insurgents against its own soldiers and civilians.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels’ goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.
—Aijaz Hussain, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2025
Verb
Tsuyoshi had rebelled against the boss of the entertainment business and left the company not on good terms.
—Sara Merican, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2025
When getting around is arduous and unsafe, workers rebel against their commutes, depressing the value of commercial buildings.
—Justin Davidson, Curbed, 18 Apr. 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 7 May. 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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