as in rebels
a person who rises up against authority
the government subjected the insurgents to the most inhuman torture imaginable
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Recent Examples of insurgents
The best challenger brands think like cultural insurgents.
—
Erik Huberman, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
Islamist insurgents have since May attacked Malian and foreign-owned businesses, including cement factories, sugar factories, and mines.
—Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Like the Industrial Revolution-era insurgents, the new Luddites are not anti-technology but anti-exploitation, the tech journalist Brian Merchant tells me.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
Labels matter Security analysts say the situation in Haiti continues to defy clear international legal characterization and the choice of labels – crisis, armed conflict, gangs, terrorist groups, armed groups, criminal groups, insurgents – carries significant legal and humanitarian implications.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
This might enable a mission which, for example, a Viper is located covertly next to a safe house known to be used by insurgents.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The state Republicans have routinely witnessed battles between far-right insurgents who in recent years have complained the party isn’t Trumpy enough and the financial institutional wing that has long been the GOP establishment and funded the party for decades.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
At least nine Christians in the Cabo Delgado province were reportedly killed in separate attacks by Islamic insurgents during that timeframe.
—Danielle Wallace, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The Los Angeles Times carried the news on its front page alongside stories about French troops battling insurgents in Morocco and a California wildfire.
—Josh Wood, The Courier-Journal, 6 Aug. 2025
Erik Huberman, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2025
Islamist insurgents have since May attacked Malian and foreign-owned businesses, including cement factories, sugar factories, and mines.
—Preeti Jha, semafor.com, 10 Oct. 2025
Like the Industrial Revolution-era insurgents, the new Luddites are not anti-technology but anti-exploitation, the tech journalist Brian Merchant tells me.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
Labels matter Security analysts say the situation in Haiti continues to defy clear international legal characterization and the choice of labels – crisis, armed conflict, gangs, terrorist groups, armed groups, criminal groups, insurgents – carries significant legal and humanitarian implications.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
This might enable a mission which, for example, a Viper is located covertly next to a safe house known to be used by insurgents.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The state Republicans have routinely witnessed battles between far-right insurgents who in recent years have complained the party isn’t Trumpy enough and the financial institutional wing that has long been the GOP establishment and funded the party for decades.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
At least nine Christians in the Cabo Delgado province were reportedly killed in separate attacks by Islamic insurgents during that timeframe.
—Danielle Wallace, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2025
The Los Angeles Times carried the news on its front page alongside stories about French troops battling insurgents in Morocco and a California wildfire.
—Josh Wood, The Courier-Journal, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insurgents
Noun
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Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is also the de facto head of state, acknowledged the rebels’ capture of El Fasher.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
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The Romans were masters at using rewards and punishment to manage foreign states, from grants of citizenship to massacres of rebels.—
Barry Strauss,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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At the time, the French people reporting on the ground and from abroad held Dessalines and other Haitian revolutionaries to a different standard.—
Julia Gaffield,
The Conversation,
15 Oct. 2025
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The Mexican actor plays revolutionaries in both season 2 of Star Wars series Andor and new movie musical, Kiss of the Spider Woman.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insurgents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insurgents. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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