mutiny 1 of 2

mutiny

2 of 2

verb

as in to rebel
to rise up against established authority the party's conservative faction mutinied just before the election

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun mutiny differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of mutiny are insurrection, rebellion, revolt, revolution, and uprising. While all these words mean "an outbreak against authority," mutiny applies to group insubordination or insurrection especially against naval authority.

a mutiny led by the ship's cook

When could rebellion be used to replace mutiny?

The synonyms rebellion and mutiny are sometimes interchangeable, but rebellion implies an open formidable resistance that is often unsuccessful.

open rebellion against the officers

How do revolt and insurrection relate to one another, in the sense of mutiny?

Both 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

When is it sensible to use revolution instead of mutiny?

While the synonyms revolution and mutiny are close in meaning, revolution applies to a successful rebellion resulting in a major change (as in government).

a political revolution that toppled the monarchy

When can uprising be used instead of mutiny?

Although the words uprising and mutiny have much in common, 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 mutiny
Noun
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 House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has avoided the same calls for mutiny plaguing his Senate counterpart, but the New York Democrat has yet to seize control of the Democratic Party and lead it out of its doldrums. Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 31 Mar. 2025
Verb
In early November, as the German naval command contemplated initiating a final climactic and likely suicidal attack on the British fleet, German sailors mutinied in the city of Kiel, leading to a wider revolution. Max Bergmann, Foreign Affairs, 18 July 2023 Jackie Calmes: McCarthy flopped, Gaetz mutinied, but blame the chaos on the entire Republican Party. Helen Li, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2023 See All Example Sentences for mutiny
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mutiny
Noun
  • Still, the Jews chafed under Roman rule and finally rebelled in 66 CE, a revolt which invited the wrath of the Roman legions led by future emperors Vespasian and his son Titus.
    Jacob Jones, JSTOR Daily, 13 Aug. 2025
  • Five days later, after a revolt, he was reinstated.
    Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Spark’s love of high style surely rebelled against the austerity of Protestantism, both in worship and creed.
    Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 10 Aug. 2025
  • George Washington led troops in the American Revolution and stands for the birth of a representative democracy after rebelling against Britain’s monarchy.
    Lisa Meyers McClintick, USA Today, 21 June 2025
Noun
  • The charge was incitement of insurrection based on his challenge of the 2020 election results and on his speech on January 6.
    Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
  • The judge set to preside over the bench trial, Charles R. Breyer, previously granted a temporary restraining order against the Trump administration, ruling that the president unlawfully federalized the National Guard and that the protests didn’t amount to an insurrection.
    Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • But for some aldermen, increasing that charge could cause more of a political uprising than raising the property tax levy.
    A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025
  • In 2022, a new nationwide uprising erupted in response to the murder of Mahsa Amini.
    Tom Ridge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
Noun
  • Call it nostalgia or a rebellion against the clean functionality of minimalism, but romantic, decorative textiles are having a moment.
    Hannah Coates, Vogue, 13 Aug. 2025
  • In a world that equates stress with productivity, peace becomes a form of rebellion—and power.
    Jonathan Low, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Mutiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mutiny. Accessed 24 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on mutiny

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