as in rebellions
open fighting against authority (as one's own government)
the famous insurrection of the slaves in ancient Rome under Spartacus
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Recent Examples of insurrections
Unlike coups or insurrections, which are swift and explicit, modern democratic backsliding is often incremental.
—
Helena Carpio, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
The 1807 measure allows the president to deploy members of the military or federalize state National Guard members to contain insurrections.
—Sarah Davis, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2026
Wars and insurrections have afflicted other parts of the Middle East, but Baghdad—a city whose name was once synonymous with suicide bombings and sectarian murder—has been spared.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2025
The president can also legally invoke the military under the Insurrection Act, which allows troops to be deployed in order to curb insurrections.
—Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Helena Carpio, Time, 16 Jan. 2026
The 1807 measure allows the president to deploy members of the military or federalize state National Guard members to contain insurrections.
—Sarah Davis, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2026
Wars and insurrections have afflicted other parts of the Middle East, but Baghdad—a city whose name was once synonymous with suicide bombings and sectarian murder—has been spared.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2025
The president can also legally invoke the military under the Insurrection Act, which allows troops to be deployed in order to curb insurrections.
—Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insurrections
Noun
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And, of course, boarding schools themselves can be immensely silly, dominated by boys’ pranks, rebellions, and mishaps.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Jan. 2026
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Here are some notable uses of the Insurrection Act, usually to quell rebellions or in cases where local or state authorities were unable or unwilling to maintain order or uphold the Constitution.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The society’s equilibrium has been profoundly disrupted and can easily tip into escalating popular revolts and open elite resistance, producing a revolution.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2026
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The result was that, where earlier fiscal crises had been met by waves of municipal-level revolts against mainstream economic policies, New York witnessed no such revolts in the 1970s.—
Daniel Wortel-London,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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So, at the heart of these uprisings in 2022, and even before that, women played a central role in seeking justice and trying to push towards greater freedoms.—
Maggie McGrath,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Iran has experienced many communications blackouts in the immediate aftermath of uprisings but never anything like the current one.—
Talla Mountjoy,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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This includes leader assassination attempts by political opponents or lone wolves or mutinies by disgruntled soldiers who might even march on the presidential palace to demand higher pay, promotions or other policy concessions.—
John Joseph Chin,
The Conversation,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insurrections.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insurrections. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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