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
Which brings me back to the confusion and the mutiny. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 2 Feb. 2025 An article on Sunday about a small mutiny at Chautauqua Institution misidentified the writer of a letter quoted from The Gadfly. New York Times, 8 Apr. 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
  • History shows that conclaves have ranged from a matter of hours to nearly three years, shaped by intrigue, deadlock, and even popular revolt.
    Dan Cody, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
  • And then, the third attempt was to carry out the revolt, which again fails.
    Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 5 May 2025
Verb
  • As few as four lawmakers rebelling in the House or Senate could derail the final package, as no Democrats are expected to support the legislation.
    Riley Beggin, USA Today, 10 May 2025
  • Medicaid benefits: Moderates are rebelling against per-capita spending caps, as well as shifting some of the cost burden to the states.
    Hans Nichols, Axios, 7 May 2025
Noun
  • Foreign funders of an insurrection interfered in our domestic affairs from the start.
    Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The charge of masterminding insurrection faced by the impeached leader is punishable by life imprisonment or even death, although South Korea has not executed anyone in decades.
    Joyce Lee, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The nation has fixed its eye on the protests: the film’s opening sequence shows denunciations of the uprisings from both conservative and liberal news media.
    Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 17 May 2025
  • The uprising has set the country on a new path, with an interim government, led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, preparing to hold elections by early next year.
    Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • After leading some of his fellow players in an uprising against the games, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) sees his rebellion instantly squashed.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 10 May 2025
  • Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who is waiting for the weekend to join the rebellion.
    Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025

Cite this Entry

“Mutiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mutiny. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on mutiny

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