defector

noun

Definition of defectornext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of defector 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 The South legally regards the North as part of its territory and has a policy of accepting and financially supporting North Korean defectors. — ABC News, 28 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 Mateen Bhaghani, another Golden Bear defector, converted a 38-yard field goal and the UCLA lead was 24-17 at the half. — Jeff Faraudo, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2026 Sources include defectors, informants and individuals who remain embedded within movements while passing information to outsiders. — Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026 Anthropic, founded by OpenAI defectors, is now expected to be the first of the two companies to go public, two people familiar with its plans say, with the IPO as early as September. — Alex Heath, Time, 26 Aug. 2026 The documentary tracks students at the Jangdaehyun School in Busan, South Korea – an institution serving North Korean defectors and their families. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defector
  1. deserter
  2. traitor
  3. renegade
  4. rebel
  5. insurgent
Noun
  • The first homesteader was an army deserter from Fort Duchesne to the north.
    — Erwin A. Bauer, Outdoor Life, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Intimate drama set in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, where a young Ukrainian deserter finds refuge with an elderly woman and forms an unlikely bond.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of deserter
Noun
  • Abby became suspicious of Kuehl during a private conversation about possible traitors in the group.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Abraham and Szor, both Israeli filmmakers, have been denounced as traitors in Israel, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself has threatened to revoke their citizenship.
    — Justin Chang, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of traitor
Noun
  • Niger’s ruling junta survived its most serious internal challenge since the 2023 coup after renegade soldiers mutinied in Niamey and Russian Africa Corps fighters helped presidential guards retake a key airbase.
    — Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • In some ways, there is a strange kind of unity to these three—all are set during the Depression, all feature stylish renegades.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of renegade
Noun
  • The latest conflict between the Saudis and the Houthis began last month after the rebels seized key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical waterway for oil shipments.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The latest conflict between the Saudis and the Houthis began last month after the rebels seized key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical waterway for Gulf oil shipments.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebel
Noun
  • Raman, who now occupies the insurgent role in the race, seemed to see the fires less as an indictment of the system than of Bass.
    — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Rwanda has acknowledged defensive “security coordinationâ€� with the M23 insurgents, who have held large swaths of mineral-rich eastern DR Congo for more than a year.
    — Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of insurgent

Browse Nearby Words

defectiveness
defector
defectors
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Cite this Entry

“Defector.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defector. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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