as in rebels
a person who rises up against authority
the government subjected the insurgents to the most inhuman torture imaginable
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 insurgents
Syria’s al-Assad went down after Israel gutted Lebanese Hezbollah, following which Turkish aided and directed insurgents representing a minority of the country marched into Damascus.
—
Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
The failing economy would accomplish what [Cowley] and his fellow literary insurgents had been unable to.
—Vince Passaro, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
India alleged insurgents were allowed to use Bangladesh’s soil to destabilize India’s northeastern states under Zia, especially during her second term from 2001-2006.
—CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
But Adamu questioned whether the strikes would do much to counter the insurgents, noting that the particular village hit was not previously known for harbouring militants.
—Reuters, NBC news, 26 Dec. 2025
Last month, Syria joined the international coalition fighting against the IS as Damascus improves its relations with Western countries after the ouster of Assad when insurgents captured his seat of power in Damascus.
—Arkansas Online, 14 Dec. 2025
Last month, Syria joined the international coalition fighting against ISIS as Damascus improved its relations with Western countries following last year's fall of President Bashar al-Assad when insurgents captured his seat of power in Damascus.
—CBS News, 13 Dec. 2025
Last month, Syria joined the international coalition fighting against the IS as Damascus improves its relations with Western countries following the ouster of Assad when insurgents captured his seat of power in Damascus.
—Samar Kassabali, Fortune, 13 Dec. 2025
Moscow managed complex global intelligence operations, supplied arms to insurgents across the globe, quashed national liberation movements in Eastern Europe and the Baltics, and spread communist ideology around the world.
—Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025
Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
The failing economy would accomplish what [Cowley] and his fellow literary insurgents had been unable to.
—Vince Passaro, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
India alleged insurgents were allowed to use Bangladesh’s soil to destabilize India’s northeastern states under Zia, especially during her second term from 2001-2006.
—CNN Money, 30 Dec. 2025
But Adamu questioned whether the strikes would do much to counter the insurgents, noting that the particular village hit was not previously known for harbouring militants.
—Reuters, NBC news, 26 Dec. 2025
Last month, Syria joined the international coalition fighting against the IS as Damascus improves its relations with Western countries after the ouster of Assad when insurgents captured his seat of power in Damascus.
—Arkansas Online, 14 Dec. 2025
Last month, Syria joined the international coalition fighting against ISIS as Damascus improved its relations with Western countries following last year's fall of President Bashar al-Assad when insurgents captured his seat of power in Damascus.
—CBS News, 13 Dec. 2025
Last month, Syria joined the international coalition fighting against the IS as Damascus improves its relations with Western countries following the ouster of Assad when insurgents captured his seat of power in Damascus.
—Samar Kassabali, Fortune, 13 Dec. 2025
Moscow managed complex global intelligence operations, supplied arms to insurgents across the globe, quashed national liberation movements in Eastern Europe and the Baltics, and spread communist ideology around the world.
—Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insurgents
Noun
-
By providing only air cover for the rebels, our intervention left the situation on the ground to the local competing forces, tribes and militias, which were divided then and remain divided to this day.—
Thomas L. Friedman,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
He's accused of running a network that partnered with violent groups including Mexico’s Sinaloa and Zetas cartels, Colombian FARC rebels and Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Parts of the movie were adapted from the novel Vineland, and some of the radical groups and revolutionaries were loosely inspired by real-life movements from the 1960s and 1970s.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
21 Dec. 2025
-
Sometimes revolutionaries come on the scene, guiding how mathematicians think about a particular field for generations.—
Jordana Cepelewicz,
Quanta Magazine,
18 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insurgents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insurgents. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share