as in rebel
someone who tries to overthrow or undermine a governing power
They were outted as subversives and exiled from the country.
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as in violent
seeking to overthrow or undermine a governing power
A subversive organization determined to unseat a leader who they believed operated outside the law.
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Recent Examples of subversive
Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
Loners lashing out America has had genuine subversives and left-wing terror networks in the past.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025
An obsession with Perfidia Beverly Hills (a magnetic Teyana Taylor), the animating figure behind a militant organization called the French 75 and the most stunning subversive to flaunt an automatic weapon while heavily pregnant.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
To dissidents, she has been seen as a hero putting her life on the line; to Modi’s supporters, as a dangerous subversive who is anti-national and anti-Hindu.
—Anderson Tepper, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2025
André's chaotic talk show, The Eric Andre Show (2012–2023), established the actor and comedian as a true subversive, which makes his turns in projects such as The Lion King (2019) and Trolls Band Together (2023) that much more amusing.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
This week, the brands unveiled a collaboration defined by a subversive aesthetic.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 10 Oct. 2025
Fast forward ten years, and Vans has reimagined that same ethos through a skate lens, turning a once-divisive luxury statement into something both accessible and subversive.
—Christopher Claxton, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025
Consider that a testament to the movie itself, which, nearly a century on, endures for its seamless blend of gothic storytelling, immersive stagecraft, and subversive comedy.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
Today’s playbook is similar to 1947 – label any dissent as unpatriotic, subversive, Marxist, and so on.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
Ray had already channelled the antic, subversive spirit of Dada and Surrealism with a series of readymade sculptures that included a flatiron studded with a row of tacks.
—Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
In those times, young people who self-described as gangsters fought for territory, and one of their subversive acts was to tag the walls of the city with the verses of cumbia songs.
—Karla Gachet, NPR, 3 Oct. 2025
The move feels refreshing in a subversive, conceptual art kind of way.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
On November 25, 1947, a majority of Hollywood top brass met at the Waldorf Astoria in New York and drafted the notorious Waldorf Statement that promised no studio would employ anyone who was a communist or suspected subversive.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
Loners lashing out America has had genuine subversives and left-wing terror networks in the past.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025
An obsession with Perfidia Beverly Hills (a magnetic Teyana Taylor), the animating figure behind a militant organization called the French 75 and the most stunning subversive to flaunt an automatic weapon while heavily pregnant.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
To dissidents, she has been seen as a hero putting her life on the line; to Modi’s supporters, as a dangerous subversive who is anti-national and anti-Hindu.
—Anderson Tepper, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2025
André's chaotic talk show, The Eric Andre Show (2012–2023), established the actor and comedian as a true subversive, which makes his turns in projects such as The Lion King (2019) and Trolls Band Together (2023) that much more amusing.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The result is bright, exotic, and joyfully subversive, proving that even the darkest wood can burn so bright.
—Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
This week, the brands unveiled a collaboration defined by a subversive aesthetic.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 10 Oct. 2025
Fast forward ten years, and Vans has reimagined that same ethos through a skate lens, turning a once-divisive luxury statement into something both accessible and subversive.
—Christopher Claxton, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025
Consider that a testament to the movie itself, which, nearly a century on, endures for its seamless blend of gothic storytelling, immersive stagecraft, and subversive comedy.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
Today’s playbook is similar to 1947 – label any dissent as unpatriotic, subversive, Marxist, and so on.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
Ray had already channelled the antic, subversive spirit of Dada and Surrealism with a series of readymade sculptures that included a flatiron studded with a row of tacks.
—Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
In those times, young people who self-described as gangsters fought for territory, and one of their subversive acts was to tag the walls of the city with the verses of cumbia songs.
—Karla Gachet, NPR, 3 Oct. 2025
The move feels refreshing in a subversive, conceptual art kind of way.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subversive
Noun
-
Hegseth likened the Colombian rebel group to the Al Qaeda terror group founded by Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
19 Oct. 2025
-
The Moscow meeting was remarkable given that Russia is harboring Syria’s former president, Bashar al-Assad, whose government was overthrown by rebels led by al-Sharaa.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Others, like Ghiath Dalla, a brigadier general whose forces were involved in violent repression of protests, is among several former officers plotting sabotage from Lebanon, according to ex-military commanders, who also shared text message exchanges with The Times.—
Danny Makki,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Continue reading … FED UP – Trump storms most violent US city with federal muscle as police group warns of soft-on-crime consequences.—
,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The best challenger brands think like cultural insurgents.—
Erik Huberman,
Rolling Stone,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Islamist insurgents have since May attacked Malian and foreign-owned businesses, including cement factories, sugar factories, and mines.—
Preeti Jha,
semafor.com,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Rag & Bone’s revolutionary printing technique, Miramar, creates an optical illusion that makes any material look like denim.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Oct. 2025
-
This engineering masterpiece required revolutionary construction techniques, including using hydraulic systems to launch the deck across the valley.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
More so than Miloš Forman’s 1981 film adaptation, the musical honors Doctorow’s splendid conceit of placing real-life historical figures – the anarchist Emma Goldman, the illusionist Harry Houdini, the scandalous vaudeville star Evelyn Nesbit – into the fictional world of Ragtime.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Tara could fall into that category, just like the Abbotsfield shooter and the trio of eco-anarchists who are deployed later in the episode.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subversive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subversive. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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