Synonyms of mutiny

mutiny 1 of 2

noun

ˈmyü-tə-nē 

as in revolt

open fighting against authority (as one's own government)

a mutiny led by the ship's cook

Synonyms & Similar Words

• revolt
• insurrection
• uprising
• rebellion
• insurgency
• revolution
• outbreak
• insurgence
• coup
• overthrow
• treachery
• rising
• treason
• sedition
• coup d'état
• sabotage
• subversion
• misprision

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• counterinsurgency
• counterrevolution

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

• rebel
• revolt
• kick over the traces
• disobey
• resist
• fight
• mock
• contest
• revolutionize
• combat
• withstand
• oppose
• defy
• buck

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• follow
• comply (with)
• submit
• serve
• obey
• mind
• attend

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

Recent Examples of mutiny

Noun

Then who would be the Giants’ head coaching hire version of Wilson that would create a legit mutiny among its fan base? —Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026

But when her latest husband, discord spirit Raksh, provokes the council’s wrath, Amina must clean up his blunder, contend with Marjana’s demands for the truth…and figure out who on her crew is plotting a mutiny. —Literary Hub, 2 Jan. 2026

Verb

In June 2023, the group mutinied and marched on Moscow before then leader Yevgeny Prigozhin negotiated a deal with the Kremlin. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024

Meanwhile, any question that Jod and Captain Silvo (the pirate whose crew mutinied in the series premiere) are one and the same was dismissed, when Brutus and his crew spoke of how Silvo had escaped the brig before facing a trial. —Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 10 Dec. 2024