insurgent 1 of 2

adjective

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
Will the Democrats have to contend with left-wing insurgents like Republicans did the Tea Party? — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026 President Emmanuel Macron has been the primary target of scorn following nationwide riots that overtook Paris and other cities, but the insurgent National Rally does not want to let mainstream conservatives off the hook. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 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
  • Any team that signs Skubal must be comfortable with his health, as the lefty missed six weeks before the All-Star break due to a revolutionary NanoScope surgery to remove a loose body in his throwing elbow.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Then barely two weeks before the midterms, the BSO channeled Boston’s revolutionary spirit with explosive AI.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of revolutionary
Noun
  • The rebel group, in turn, continues to target Saudi infrastructure, including the King Khalid International Airport in the capital Riyadh, and oil facilities.
    — Clarissa Ward, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2026
  • The District 13 rebels and the Capitol engage in a series of attacks, counterattacks, and clandestine missions.
    — Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of rebel
Adjective
  • With its choppy layers, tousled texture, and extra length at the nape, this wolf cut brought a rebellious twist to her usual regal aesthetic.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The selection also features Dutch director Sabine Lubbe Bakker’s Premier Souffle, exploring whether a rebellious outsider can find her place in the world after years of isolation from her community.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebellious
Adjective
  • The book is centered on a traitorous CIA officer who has found refuge with the Russian mafia with plans to kill Reece.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2026
  • 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
Definition of traitorous
Adjective
  • Young protestors answered with an insurrectionary energy in the summer and soon found support from a broader coalition comprised of opposition parties, social movements and other pillars of Indian civil society.
    — Asim Ali, Time, 24 Oct. 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
  • Besides, second terms--and especially their final two years--have proved treacherous for every recent president, including Reagan, who survived a major scandal involving arms sales to Iran.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Except, counters Soll, that the placement of the giraffe is treacherous because the front door swings right in its path.
    — Leonora Epstein, Architectural Digest, 11 Nov. 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

insurgency
insurgent
insurgents
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Insurgent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insurgent. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All