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
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
The insurgents’ goals vary, from greater autonomy and control over the province’s natural resources to full independence.
—Amira Jadoon, The Conversation, 13 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
The insurgents, who operate at ease, crossing borders and dominating much of the countryside in Mali and Burkina Faso, now feel emboldened to target capital cities.
—Ulf Laessing, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
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
The insurgents’ goals vary, from greater autonomy and control over the province’s natural resources to full independence.
—Amira Jadoon, The Conversation, 13 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
The insurgents, who operate at ease, crossing borders and dominating much of the countryside in Mali and Burkina Faso, now feel emboldened to target capital cities.
—Ulf Laessing, semafor.com, 30 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insurgents
Noun
-
Cuba’s nationalization wave began soon after Fidel Castro’s rebels took control of the island in 1959.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
-
Gangs, rebels, and soldiers started massacring elephants, sometimes from military helicopters.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Not helping was Parliament’s passage of the Tea Act in 1773, to which revolutionaries responded by dumping tea into Boston Harbor.—
Laurie Kellman,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
-
Not helping was Parliament's passage of the Tea Act in 1773, to which revolutionaries responded by dumping tea into Boston Harbor.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Insurgents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insurgents. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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