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insurgent 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of insurgentnext
as in revolutionary
taking part in a rebellion any insurgent soldiers will be dealt with harshly

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

insurgent

2 of 2

noun

in-ˈsər-jənt How to pronounce insurgent (audio)
as in rebel
a person who rises up against authority the government subjected the insurgents to the most inhuman torture imaginable

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of insurgent
Adjective
Spencer Pratt, once the villain of the 2000s MTV reality show The Hills and now an insurgent candidate in this year’s Los Angeles mayoral race, had a breakthrough moment in his first debate performance last Wednesday. — Miles Klee, Wired News, 15 May 2026 The Republican is seeking a sixth term of six years this fall in what is expected to be one of the nation’s most competitive Senate races against insurgent 41-year-old oysterman and veteran Graham Platner, a Democrat. — Joseph Konig, PEOPLE, 7 May 2026
Noun
Many of the 9/11 hijackers, for instance, initially went to Afghanistan with the intention to acquire skills and connections before traveling onward to Chechnya to fight alongside Chechen insurgents against Russian security forces. — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026 The festival was an impressive feat of planning and production, an execution of vision that may or may not translate into alternative, insurgent thought or actions. — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for insurgent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insurgent
  1. revolutionary
  2. rebel
  3. rebellious
  4. traitorous
  5. insurrectionary
  6. treacherous
  7. mutinous
Adjective
  • The revolutionary ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction allowed John to win an additional 164 games, more than half of his career total of 288 victories.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Hardly an impartial judge of his own life, the Unabomber’s stated willingness to serve as the face of a revolutionary movement is chilling.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of revolutionary
Noun
  • The charges stemmed from fighting more than a decade ago between the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels who seized power from then-President François Bozizé, and a mainly Christian militia called the anti-Balaka.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
  • In the south, an array of militias and armed groups arose over the years, ostensibly to back the government against the rebels.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of rebel
Adjective
  • Vivienne Westwood, who died in 2022, helped define the punk fashion movement and became internationally known for rebellious designs that challenged conventional ideas of fashion and style.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Emma and Lizzie belong to a wealthy New England family and were once close, but as Lizzie and her rebellious housemaid Bridget Sullivan (Vicky Krieps) become deeply entangled, their relationship strains.
    — Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of rebellious
Adjective
  • Telemachus’ lone contribution is killing Melanthius, the traitorous Ithacan farmhand, thus preventing him from continuing to arm the suitors.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 17 July 2026
  • And at the very center of Hell is Satan himself, the traitorous Archangel Lucifer, depicted as a monstrous creature with wings and three heads.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 11 May 2026
Definition of traitorous
Adjective
  • The people who joined were not there at the behest of a political organization but were drawn, like pilgrims to hip pilgrimage sites, by the promise of an insurrectionary pleasure.
    — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026
  • The Iranian regime was, if not on the ropes, then in very serious trouble as recently as January, when, amid a terrible economic situation with an eviscerated middle class, a large proportion of the population—disgruntled, unhappy, insurrectionary, revolutionary—came out to protest on the streets.
    — Daniel Drake, The New York Review of Books, 16 May 2026
Definition of insurrectionary
Adjective
  • The Sacramento State junior quarterback has had his moments in the Hornets’ 1-3 start in their first season navigating the tricky and treacherous waters of the NCAA Division I FBS high seas.
    — Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Heavy downpours drenched parts of northern Broward County on Thursday, causing treacherous driving conditions as rain flooded streets and roads.
    — Joan Murray, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of treacherous
Adjective
  • Seven top clergypersons of the Armenian Apostolic Church, including the church head, Karekin II, have been charged with crimes related to the church’s refusal to restore a mutinous bishop.
    — Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Such mutinous talk only heightened conservative Justices’ sense that the barbarians were storming the gate.
    — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of mutinous

Browse Nearby Words

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insurgent
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Cite this Entry

“Insurgent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insurgent. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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