1
as in deserters
a person who abandons a cause or organization usually without right
an apostate from communism, he later became one of its harshest critics
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in traitors
one who betrays a trust or an allegiance
became an apostate to liberalism after he had gotten wealthy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of apostates
Brown and O’Neill cast themselves less as Sandberg’s heirs than as her apostates.
—
Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
In Iran, Baha’is are considered to be apostates and face persecution, marked by extreme violence including extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary detention.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
In Iran, Baha’is are considered to be apostates and face persecution, marked by extreme violence including extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary detention.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apostates
Noun
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Harry Truman granted amnesty to certain World War II deserters, while Jimmy Carter granted pardons to hundreds of thousands of individuals who dodged the draft during the Vietnam War.—
Stewart Ulrich,
The Conversation,
15 Dec. 2025
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More important, though, is the fact that the judge who posited that hordes of deserters could follow Vovchenko’s example seems to be overstepping his role.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The challenge gave the faithful a chance to identify the traitors with just a few rounds left.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
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But that does not mean that those Maryland families with pre-war Confederate roots were, or are, traitors.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But in order to remain a meaningful platform for creative renegades, the festival needs to also take risks.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
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But a few renegades creatively defected across the pond, looking instead at America for inspiration.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Only a few of her captors speak French, so most of her days are spent nonverbally (and Depardon reinforces the isolation by not subtitling the rebels’ dialogue in their native language).—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2026
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Despite denim enthusiasts often being drawn to traditionally masculine iconography—such as the Wild West, cowboys, and Hollywood rebels like Marlon Brando and James Dean—what truly defines the subculture is a deep appreciation for nostalgia, freedom, and self-expression.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Those funds often backed far-right Republican insurgents.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Amid the nods to social media and cancel culture and the shallow perils of modern celebrity, the image of Taylor-Joy’s disciplined group of insurgents, who speak in almost archaic, poetic dialogue, strikes a bracing contrast.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apostates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apostates. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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