as in insurrections
open fighting against authority (as one's own government)
there always seems to be insurgency of some type in that troubled country
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Recent Examples of insurgencies
Pinochet was proud of his personal library, with books on guerrilla insurgencies, the writings of Antonio Gramsci and other Marxist theorists, and accounts of communist crimes.
—
Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent history in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq suggests that insurgencies can wear down regular armies over time.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
Unlike some other ethnic armed organizations leading insurgencies against the junta, the KNA is a pro-junta militia formally folded into the army’s command.
—Dan Swift, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2025
African states, too, have started hiring Russian, Turkish, Romanian, and South African private military companies (PMCs) to battle insurgencies, to deploy drones against jihadists, and to reclaim resource-rich areas taken over by rebels.
—Alia Brahimi, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
The area has been engulfed in decades-long conflict between armed ethnic groups and the Burmese authorities, who are now fighting multiple insurgencies following the 2021 military coup and its violent crackdown on opposition forces.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Gang members burned schools and police stations, raided the country’s two largest prisons and led insurgencies in many parts of the capital.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2025
With the exception of some far-right voices, few in Israel want to be stuck in Gaza forever, responsible for 3 million Palestinians and facing likely insurgencies.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 17 Oct. 2024
Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent history in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq suggests that insurgencies can wear down regular armies over time.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
Unlike some other ethnic armed organizations leading insurgencies against the junta, the KNA is a pro-junta militia formally folded into the army’s command.
—Dan Swift, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2025
African states, too, have started hiring Russian, Turkish, Romanian, and South African private military companies (PMCs) to battle insurgencies, to deploy drones against jihadists, and to reclaim resource-rich areas taken over by rebels.
—Alia Brahimi, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
The area has been engulfed in decades-long conflict between armed ethnic groups and the Burmese authorities, who are now fighting multiple insurgencies following the 2021 military coup and its violent crackdown on opposition forces.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Gang members burned schools and police stations, raided the country’s two largest prisons and led insurgencies in many parts of the capital.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2025
With the exception of some far-right voices, few in Israel want to be stuck in Gaza forever, responsible for 3 million Palestinians and facing likely insurgencies.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, TIME, 17 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insurgencies
Noun
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The president can also legally invoke the military under the Insurrection Act, which allows troops to be deployed in order to curb insurrections.—
Alison Durkee,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The display is typically only removed in cases of high treason or rebellions against the Crown, according to The Sun.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
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McArthur replied that, yes, the administration agreed with that point of view, prompting Bennett to ask him whether George Washington could have retained control over local militias years after founding-era rebellions had ended.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The East African country has been mired in civil strife ever since the central government collapsed in 1991 following a series of uprisings against the then-military dictatorship.—
Omar S Mahmood,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
-
While at the Lumiere Festival in Lyon where he’s being honored with a career tribute, Michael Mann reflected on his time in Paris documenting the student uprisings of 1968 for NBC.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Onondagas support plans announced by the mayor of Syracuse in 2020 to remove the statue of Columbus, an Italian explorer who helped the Spanish establish a colonial foothold in the Caribbean and later suppressed revolts by Indigenous people.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
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Peasant revolts have been a thing right alongside revolutionary history the entire time.—
Nikki McCann Ramirez,
Rolling Stone,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This includes leader assassination attempts by political opponents or lone wolves or mutinies by disgruntled soldiers who might even march on the presidential palace to demand higher pay, promotions or other policy concessions.—
John Joseph Chin,
The Conversation,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insurgencies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insurgencies. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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