Synonyms of defector

defector

noun

as in deserter

a person who abandons a cause or organization usually without right

the defector demanded political asylum in exchange for information about his nation's spying operations

Synonyms & Similar Words

• deserter
• traitor
• renegade
• rebel
• insurgent
• apostate
• revolutionary
• turncoat
• betrayer
• quisling
• recreant
• mutineer
• traitress
• turnabout
• insurrectionist
• abandoner
• double-crosser
• discontent
• dropout
• leaver
• revolutionist
• revolter
• insurrectionary
• refusenik
• red
• defier
• recusant
• revolutionizer
• refuser
• come-outer
• malcontent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• disciple
• supporter
• follower
• loyalist
• adherent
• partisan
• militant
• fanatic
• zealot

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of defector

And their escape routes are narrowing; since Kim sealed off the borders during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of North Korean defectors reaching South Korea has plummeted. — Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026

Poaching defectors Netanyahu is likely looking for weak links in the opposition bloc, which spans Israel’s political spectrum. — Tia Goldenberg, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026

The leading candidate will have six weeks to form a governing coalition, likely competing for support from defectors in each other's camps. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026

South Korea, which in its constitution claims to be the legitimate government of the entire Korean Peninsula, has long accepted and financially supported North Korean defectors. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026

This hopeful documentary follows teenagers attending Jangdaehyun School in Busan, which helps the children of North Korean defectors to navigate life in South Korea. — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Its policy is to accept and support defectors from North Korea; more than 34,000 have arrived since the end of the Korean War. — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 29 Sep. 2026

South Korean research has documented possible signs of radiation exposure in defectors from North Korea who lived near the test site, but scientists said the cause remains unclear. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2026

But the new work found that if the rewards change with time (even by a small amount), then a second stable point emerges from the model, allowing both cooperators and defectors to coexist. — Chris Lee, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026