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
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
Troops unknowingly entered an apartment building next to insurgents, and al-Qaeda forces hurled a grenade through a sniper hole, injuring one of the SEALs, Elliott Miller (Cosmo Jarvis).
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
And when a couple of grenades are thrown into their space – because insurgents happen to be in the house next door – the action ratchets up and begins to spin out of control for the soldiers.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2025
This week, the insurgents expanded their reach to the rural town of Saut-d’Eau, whose picturesque waterfall is nestled between the west region, where Port-au-Prince is located, and the Central Plateau.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
Some analysts said Tuesday’s attack marked an escalation in the sophistication of attacks by the insurgents.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025
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
Troops unknowingly entered an apartment building next to insurgents, and al-Qaeda forces hurled a grenade through a sniper hole, injuring one of the SEALs, Elliott Miller (Cosmo Jarvis).
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
And when a couple of grenades are thrown into their space – because insurgents happen to be in the house next door – the action ratchets up and begins to spin out of control for the soldiers.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2025
This week, the insurgents expanded their reach to the rural town of Saut-d’Eau, whose picturesque waterfall is nestled between the west region, where Port-au-Prince is located, and the Central Plateau.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025
Some analysts said Tuesday’s attack marked an escalation in the sophistication of attacks by the insurgents.
—Sophia Saifi, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insurgents
Noun
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By 2018, Assad had control of Damascus and Aleppo, and the rebels were confined to a jihadist ministate in Idlib.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
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Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Saturday vowed to take revenge for the killing of their prime minister and other political leaders by Israeli airstrikes earlier this week.—
Eyad Kourdi,
CNN Money,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The film was One Battle After Another, Anderson’s high-octane adaptation of Vineland, Thomas Pynchon’s anarchic 1990 novel about a crew of former leftist revolutionaries — the French 75 — living in a slightly more dystopian version of present-day America.—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
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Such was the importance placed on the tree for mobilizing resistance that in 1775, it was cut down by British soldiers to demoralize the revolutionaries.—
Ellen Walker,
JSTOR Daily,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insurgents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insurgents. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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