as in deserters
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 defectors
At the time, the president vowed to back primary challengers to the Republican defectors.
—
Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026
Laughter, gasps and applause are not uncommon, according to defectors and foreign visitors who have attended such events.
—Will Ripley, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
High-profile defectors, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia, are in the twilight of their careers and unlikely to return.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
Brooks Koepka, one of the big names who decamped from the PGA Tour four years ago for the upstart LIV, is returning to the PGA Tour later this month thanks to a new policy meant to welcome select LIV defectors back.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Generally, the defectors don’t go far.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Netanyahu’s efforts to bolster his message and lure defectors back to the pro-Israel cause extend beyond Bible study.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Discharge petitions require the backing of a simple majority of House members, or 218 signatories; in addition to the Republican defectors, twelve Democrats have so far signed Fitzpatrick’s petition, and 28 have signed Gottheimer and Kiggans’.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 12 Dec. 2025
Due to a lack of state funds, however, these have failed to materialize, forcing many seniors still able to work to join the country's informal markets, according to accounts by North Korean defectors to the South.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025
Christian Datoc, The Washington Examiner, 27 Jan. 2026
Laughter, gasps and applause are not uncommon, according to defectors and foreign visitors who have attended such events.
—Will Ripley, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
High-profile defectors, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Sergio Garcia, are in the twilight of their careers and unlikely to return.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Jan. 2026
Brooks Koepka, one of the big names who decamped from the PGA Tour four years ago for the upstart LIV, is returning to the PGA Tour later this month thanks to a new policy meant to welcome select LIV defectors back.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Generally, the defectors don’t go far.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
Netanyahu’s efforts to bolster his message and lure defectors back to the pro-Israel cause extend beyond Bible study.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Discharge petitions require the backing of a simple majority of House members, or 218 signatories; in addition to the Republican defectors, twelve Democrats have so far signed Fitzpatrick’s petition, and 28 have signed Gottheimer and Kiggans’.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 12 Dec. 2025
Due to a lack of state funds, however, these have failed to materialize, forcing many seniors still able to work to join the country's informal markets, according to accounts by North Korean defectors to the South.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defectors
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 play will tell a story inspired by the program’s format, in which a group of faithfuls try to root out the traitors, and will be staged at an unnamed London venue.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
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Proceed with caution, faithful readers… The die is cast — the traitors and faithfuls have been chosen, and their clothes are doing the slaying (all puns intended).—
Jamie Allison Sanders,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, rebels in 2024 overthrew Syria’s Bashar Assad after a yearslong, bloody war in which Iran backed his rule.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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The Season 2 finale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians saw Percy (Walker Scobell), Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), Grover (Aryan Simhadri) mobilize the rest of the demigods against Luke (Charlie Bushnell) and his ragtag crew of rebels working to resurrect Kronos.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Those efforts, combined with security operations against both Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias, weakened al-Qaeda between 2007 and 2009, allowing al-Maliki to consolidate power.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
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Israel — home to more Holocaust survivors than any other country — marks its remembrance day, Yom HaShoah, on the anniversary of the April 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, emphasizing the heroism of the Jewish insurgents who resisted the Nazi terror.—
Vanessa Gera,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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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VCs raining money on said brilliant renegades, despite signals that the market wasn’t quite mature enough and money was being lit on fire?—
Cortney Harding,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defectors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defectors. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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