as in insurrection
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 insurgency
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but suspicion quickly fell on the Boko Haram jihadi group, which in 2009 launched an insurgency in northeastern Nigeria to enforce their radical interpretation of Shariah, or Islamic law.
—
Haruna Umar, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Alongside attacks by bandits, Nigeria is also plagued by an insurgency fought by the Boko Haram extremist group and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province.
—ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
Since launching its insurgency, Boko Haram has grown stronger, with thousands of fighters and multiple factions, some aligned with the Islamic State group.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Some Kurdish groups have fought a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.
—Younes Mohammad, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insurgency
Haruna Umar, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Alongside attacks by bandits, Nigeria is also plagued by an insurgency fought by the Boko Haram extremist group and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province.
—ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
Since launching its insurgency, Boko Haram has grown stronger, with thousands of fighters and multiple factions, some aligned with the Islamic State group.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Some Kurdish groups have fought a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.
—Younes Mohammad, USA Today, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insurgency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insurgency
Noun
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The film presents boosting as an act of insurrection from the street up.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
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There was also a plan to encourage an insurrection in early 2023.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Jacir’s absorbing film takes place during the 1936–39 Arab revolt, which was a response to British rule and the colonial authority’s partnership with newly arriving Jewish refugees from Europe.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
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Amidst an anti-colonial revolt, and with Jewish refugees fleeing persecution from Europe, all sides converge in a decisive moment for the entire region.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Müntzer’s teachings helped provoke the widespread uprising of the German peasants in 1525, and have served as a kind of progenitor inspiration for later communist thinkers, from Friedrich Engels to Ernst Bloch.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
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Herzen’s arrest was part of a sweeping crackdown on intellectual circles following the Decembrist uprising, as the tsarist regime sought to quell dissent.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Burlington Central’s Mackenzie Lorkowski traced the roots of her career to a small act of rebellion.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
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As Fisk's anti-vigilante task force abducts dissidents off the street, locking them away in an undisclosed warehouse full of cages, Daredevil (Charlie Cox) becomes a symbol of rebellion for those willing to fight back.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The ur-mutiny, encompassing some of these, provoking and provoked by others, is MAGA.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
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That mobility occasionally allowed for communication and coordination during mutinies.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insurgency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insurgency. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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