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
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
Putin, a former Russian intelligence officer who has been in power for more than two decades, has a long record of silencing and even allegedly ordering assassinations of his detractors and defectors.
—Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 4 June 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
Putin, a former Russian intelligence officer who has been in power for more than two decades, has a long record of silencing and even allegedly ordering assassinations of his detractors and defectors.
—Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 4 June 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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On Thursday night, it will be determined whether the traitors or the faithfuls will win a £100,000 prize for charity.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
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The competition show takes place in Scotland and has cast members divided into two groups, traitors and faithfuls, and the faithfuls try to vote off the traitors to win a cash prize.—
Jenni Fink,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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By providing only air cover for the rebels, our intervention left the situation on the ground to the local competing forces, tribes and militias, which were divided then and remain divided to this day.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
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He's accused of running a network that partnered with violent groups including Mexico’s Sinaloa and Zetas cartels, Colombian FARC rebels and Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Yet those soldiers and sailors had to stretch across a vast global canvas, leaving fewer than three in ten of them to try to rout the insurgents in North America.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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Subsequent reporting showed how Maduro loyalists infiltrated the training camps of the would-be liberators and betrayed their cause, leading to the execution of six leaders and capture of dozens of insurgents.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 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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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 11 Jan. 2026.
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