as in revolt
open fighting against authority (as one's own government) the famous insurrection of the slaves in ancient Rome under Spartacus

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How does the noun insurrection differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of insurrection are mutiny, rebellion, revolt, revolution, and uprising. While all these words mean "an outbreak against authority," revolt and insurrection imply an armed uprising that quickly fails or succeeds.

a revolt by the Young Turks that surprised party leaders
an insurrection of oppressed laborers

In what contexts can mutiny take the place of insurrection?

The synonyms mutiny and insurrection are sometimes interchangeable, but mutiny applies to group insubordination or insurrection especially against naval authority.

a mutiny led by the ship's cook

When is it sensible to use rebellion instead of insurrection?

The words rebellion and insurrection can be used in similar contexts, but rebellion implies an open formidable resistance that is often unsuccessful.

open rebellion against the officers

When can revolution be used instead of insurrection?

While in some cases nearly identical to insurrection, revolution applies to a successful rebellion resulting in a major change (as in government).

a political revolution that toppled the monarchy

When is uprising a more appropriate choice than insurrection?

The meanings of uprising and insurrection largely overlap; however, uprising implies a brief, limited, and often immediately ineffective rebellion.

quickly put down the uprising

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 insurrection All of these acts of insurrection reveal a nation unbowed in the face of violent oppression. Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025 Mass deportations, the politicization of our military and the use of the military as props to create the suggestion of insurrection are classic authoritarian techniques to take over governments. Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025 The lone wolf extremist myth diverts from what should be the focus of deterrence efforts: understanding how far-right extremists network, organize and, as the Jan. 6 insurrection showed, build coalitions across diverse groups, especially through the use of social media. Alex Hinton, The Conversation, 17 June 2025 The demonstrations began in Los Angeles, where, after a small number of participants hurled concrete blocks at police cruisers and torched Waymo cars, Trump deployed the National Guard and the Marines, claiming that the protests amounted to an insurrection. Adam Iscoe, New Yorker, 14 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for insurrection
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insurrection
Noun
  • The succession of scandals crescendoes to cause internal revolt.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 4 July 2025
  • During the English Civil War in 1642, the medieval crown jewels were destroyed as a symbol of revolt against the monarchy.
    Madison Dapcevich, Discover Magazine, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • In the decades after the Tibetan uprising in 1959, tens of thousands of Tibetans braved frostbite and Himalayan avalanches to live in the proximity of the 14th Dalai Lama.
    Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 2 July 2025
  • The Gulf Arabs financed the counter-revolution against the popular Arab uprisings and worked to counter the influence of a stronger Iran.
    Dina Esfandiary, Time, 1 July 2025
Noun
  • Along the way, the exhausting voyage involved various mutinies and crew deaths, and upon reaching the islands of the Malayan Archipelago, Magellan’s mind and ambitions changed.
    Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 18 May 2025
  • But the mutiny underscored for Putin that the country’s current business leaders and high-level bureaucrats cannot be relied on at moments of regime crisis.
    ANDREI YAKOVLEV, Foreign Affairs, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • The final season picks up right where season 2 left off, with the deadly games resuming after Seong Gi-hun’s failed rebellion and Hwang Jun-ho continuing his search for the elusive island.
    Regina Kim, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
  • Luckily, the late ’70s and the early ’80s helped reframe that perception, loosening the bounds of traditional beauty standards amid the era of punk rebellion.
    Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 30 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Insurrection.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insurrection. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.

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