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
Although the crisis was quickly defused and Prigozhin was eliminated two months later, the mutiny dealt a significant blow to the regime. Andrei Yakovlev, Foreign Affairs, 16 May 2025 Congressional Republicans Thursday agreed to move forward with President Trump’s sprawling budget plan a day after a mutiny by right-wing lawmakers threatened to derail it. Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 10 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
  • The revolt by a large number of Labour MPs against benefit cuts imposed by Keir Starmer is an example.
    Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • Rumors of connections between Saint Domingue and slave resistance abounded in Virginia after 1793 and shaped how whites understood Gabriel’s revolt in Richmond in 1800.
    Time, Time, 9 June 2025
Verb
  • Wait, there’s a both-sides approach to the company and the workers rebelling against it?
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 June 2025
  • Newsweek Contributors Debate For decades, Iranians have organized, protested, and rebelled for greater freedom.
    Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • 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, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • Also, because Israel is constantly targeting Tehran, which has been the center of previous uprisings, there is no potential for people to mobilize and come out on the streets, Azizi added.
    Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025
  • Newark’s mayor cited reports of a possible uprising and escape after disorder broke out at the facility Thursday night and protesters outside the center locked arms and pushed against barricades as vehicles passed through gates.
    Mike Catalini, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
Noun
  • The third season opens in the wake of the deadly rebellion depicted in the Season 2 finale, which left Jung-Bae and many of Gi-hun’s allies dead.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
  • The law allows a president to federalize state National Guard troops under three conditions: in the event of an invasion, a rebellion or threat of rebellion, or when regular federal forces are unable to enforce the law.
    Martha McHardy Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025

Cite this Entry

“Mutiny.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mutiny. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

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