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
In 2022, French forces departed Mali as insurgents made incursions into the capital, Bamako.
—
Kaitlyn Rabe, The Conversation, 16 June 2026
The insurgents become known as the Osos (Bears).
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 12 June 2026
After Daft Punk’s rise from underground dance music heroes to chart-topping pop insurgents, Bangalter followed different muses in different directions.
—Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 8 June 2026
That legacy includes crushing both hyperinflation and the Maoist insurgents of the Shining Path, who bathed Peru in blood in the 1980s and 1990s.
—Simeon Tegel, NPR, 6 June 2026
The primary race has been described as a potential sleeper for progressive insurgents looking to build on the remarkable long-shot victory of Mayor Mamdani in last year’s race for City Hall.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 26 May 2026
The insurgents have frequently targeted security forces, government installations and civilians in the province and elsewhere in the country.
—ABC News, 24 May 2026
The insurgents frequently target security forces, government installations and civilians in the province and elsewhere in the country.
—Abdul Sattar, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
Many advanced states understand the need for some kind of violent reaction to terrorists or insurgents, usually as a task for special-operations forces.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Kaitlyn Rabe, The Conversation, 16 June 2026
The insurgents become known as the Osos (Bears).
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 12 June 2026
After Daft Punk’s rise from underground dance music heroes to chart-topping pop insurgents, Bangalter followed different muses in different directions.
—Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 8 June 2026
That legacy includes crushing both hyperinflation and the Maoist insurgents of the Shining Path, who bathed Peru in blood in the 1980s and 1990s.
—Simeon Tegel, NPR, 6 June 2026
The primary race has been described as a potential sleeper for progressive insurgents looking to build on the remarkable long-shot victory of Mayor Mamdani in last year’s race for City Hall.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 26 May 2026
The insurgents have frequently targeted security forces, government installations and civilians in the province and elsewhere in the country.
—ABC News, 24 May 2026
The insurgents frequently target security forces, government installations and civilians in the province and elsewhere in the country.
—Abdul Sattar, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
Many advanced states understand the need for some kind of violent reaction to terrorists or insurgents, usually as a task for special-operations forces.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insurgents
Noun
-
That's partly because eastern Congo is also battling ongoing violence from rebels.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
-
That’s partly because eastern Congo is also battling ongoing violence from rebels.—
Constant Same Bagalwa,
Chicago Tribune,
22 June 2026
Noun
-
Some imagery on the shirt, depicting Haitian revolutionaries from the early 1800s, was declared political and therefore not allowed, having fallen foul of FIFA’s often quite stringent rules around kits at World Cups.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
Both then and now, targeting revolutionaries like Dessalines has supported that goal.—
Julia Gaffield,
The Conversation,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insurgents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insurgents. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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