turncoat

noun turn·coat \ -ˌkōt \

Updated on: 25 Apr 2018

Definition of turncoat

: one who switches to an opposing side or party; specifically : traitor

See turncoat defined for English-language learners

See turncoat defined for kids

Examples of turncoat in a Sentence

the plot of the story revolved around the gangster's relentless determination to learn the identity of the turncoat

Recent Examples of turncoat from the Web

As the heavily armed Saviors, whose firepower was bolstered by turncoat Eugene's round-the-clock bullet production, closed in, Negan gave the order to shoot — and everything changed.

— bill keveney, USA TODAY, "'The Walking Dead' recap: 'All-Out War' ends with Rick-Negan showdown," 15 Apr. 2018
Lipton kept up the conciliatory tone on Saturday, casting the union defectors not as turncoats, but victims of a pressure campaign by Cuomo and his allies.

— gregory krieg, CNN, "Nixon gets big progressive endorsement as NY Democrats face rupture," 14 Apr. 2018
In time, her reputation became scarred by accusations of extreme brutality toward suspected turncoats, misbehavior and indiscretion in her private life, and a radicalism that seemed at odds with Mandela's quest for racial inclusiveness.

— author: alan cowell, Anchorage Daily News, "Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who fought apartheid with her husband, has died at 81," 2 Apr. 2018
In time, her reputation became scarred by accusations of extreme brutality toward suspected turncoats, misbehavior and indiscretion in her private life, and a radicalism that seemed at odds with Mandela’s quest for racial inclusiveness.

— alan cowell, BostonGlobe.com, "Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, 81, antiapartheid leader," 2 Apr. 2018
The latest victims near death’s door are 66-year-old Sergei Skripal — a former colonel in Russia’s military intelligence service, then a turncoat helping British agents — and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia.

— Washington Post, "Spy poisoning is latest in string of suspicious cases in UK," 10 Mar. 2018
When Litvinenko was fatally stricken, many Western analysts said his poisoning appeared aimed at driving home a brutal message: Enemies of Putin, a onetime KGB officer, could not expect to find haven anywhere — especially not a turncoat spy.

— christina boyle, latimes.com, "British counterterrorism agents take over probe of Russian ex-spy's mysterious collapse," 6 Mar. 2018
But Lee’s arrest — and the glaring possibility of a mole deep in the heart of Langley — resurfaced memories of Ames, the agency’s most notorious turncoat.

— ian shapira, Washington Post, "‘Rick is a goddamn Russian spy’: Does the CIA have a new Aldrich Ames on its hands?," 26 Jan. 2018
Rey is a possible candidate, as is Finn, the Stormtrooper turncoat played by John Boyega.

— brett weiss, star-telegram, "‘Star Wars’: Fisher added one-liners, Hamill imagined child’s death, more ‘Jedi’ news," 14 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'turncoat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.