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
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Recent Examples of defector
The approach extended to the creative process, with extensive consultation with North Korean experts and defectors throughout production.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Two of whom, Seok and Hyuk, gained attention for their emotional story as North Korean defectors-turned-K-pop idols.
—Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Several other exiles in London — oligarchs and defectors — who died under mysterious circumstances in the early 2000s.
—Andy Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Researchers said the report was based on interviews with defectors and officials around the world, as well as declassified documents, satellite images and open-source information.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2025
Local rights for baseball, which would help ESPN limit subscriber defectors, are on Pitaro’s list of keepers.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 25 Sep. 2025
Two of whom, Seok and Hyuk, gained attention for their emotional story as North Korean defectors-turned-K-pop idols.
—Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Several other exiles in London — oligarchs and defectors — who died under mysterious circumstances in the early 2000s.
—Andy Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2025
Researchers said the report was based on interviews with defectors and officials around the world, as well as declassified documents, satellite images and open-source information.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 21 Aug. 2025
Local rights for baseball, which would help ESPN limit subscriber defectors, are on Pitaro’s list of keepers.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defector
Noun
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Despite opposition to busing, particularly among White families who comprised much of Louisville's Catholic population, Archbishop McDonough vowed in 1974 that his schools would not become the home of public school deserters.—
Krista Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
4 Sep. 2025
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Lincoln made frequent stops in the county and tried cases there as an attorney, according to the city, and Marshall was the site of an extended dispute during the Civil War involving Union Army deserters.—
John Tuohy,
IndyStar,
3 July 2025
Noun
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Dionysius of Heraclea, caught in a health crisis, abandoned Stoicism for the pleasures of the Cyrenaics — only to be branded a traitor by former allies who saw his change of heart as proof of weakness.—
Shai Tubali,
Big Think,
30 Sep. 2025
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The bandit takes the pair into Shaybani territory, where he is treated with suspicion, to the extent that he is considered a traitor and condemned to die.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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Lopez posted lookbooks on Facebook and staged renegade runway shows—during, but outside, the main calendar of New York Fashion Week.—
Ana Karina Zatarain,
New Yorker,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The rebels, led by Deepak Rauniyar and Binod Paudel, fired off a scathing letter to the Academy demanding a full investigation and threatening to blow up Nepal’s Oscar dreams entirely.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Sep. 2025
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Directed by the iconic Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another stars DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson, a vigilante and former rebel who is on the run from Penn's Officer Steven Lockjaw.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Farage, the forever insurgent, has always been able to avoid the choices that come with power.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
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The film was released to relatively little publicity by Angel Studios, the insurgent independent production house behind surprise, Christian box office hits like Sound of Freedom and The Chosen.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defector.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defector. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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