as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
today's rebel chefs feel free to ignore the dictates of classic French cuisine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in insurgent
a person who rises up against authority
the rebel would not submit peacefully, even after he was captured
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to revolt
to rise up against established authority
the colonists rebelled in the wake of an onslaught of abuses
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rebel
Ben Smith, semafor.com, 26 Dec. 2025
Al-Baba said that Syria’s new authorities had faced shortages in security personnel and had to recruit rapidly after the unexpected success of a rebel offensive last year that intended to capture the northern city of Aleppo but ended up overthrowing the government of former President Bashar Assad.
—Abby Sewell, Fortune, 14 Dec. 2025
Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 15 Jan. 2026
The colonies need to declare independence, Paine wrote, because so long as their goal was seen as reconciliation, foreign governments would consider the Americans as rebels and the conflict an internal affair.
—Frederic J. Fransen, Twin Cities, 13 Jan. 2026
Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
Gardeners, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, are rebelling against throwaway culture by ditching disposable gardening.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Adjective
However rebel groups remain a serious threat, Reuters reported, reflecting the Kremlin’s apparent inability to improve allies’ security situation.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 26 Dec. 2025
Al-Baba said that Syria’s new authorities had faced shortages in security personnel and had to recruit rapidly after the unexpected success of a rebel offensive last year that intended to capture the northern city of Aleppo but ended up overthrowing the government of former President Bashar Assad.
—Abby Sewell, Fortune, 14 Dec. 2025
Noun
Myanmar’s anti-government rebels — and a burgeoning industry of online scam centers — rely on Starlink to circumvent internet blocks.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 15 Jan. 2026
The colonies need to declare independence, Paine wrote, because so long as their goal was seen as reconciliation, foreign governments would consider the Americans as rebels and the conflict an internal affair.
—Frederic J. Fransen, Twin Cities, 13 Jan. 2026
Verb
Communities are rebelling against the construction of massive data farms.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
Gardeners, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, are rebelling against throwaway culture by ditching disposable gardening.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebel
Adjective
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No surprise, then, that so much of their work is fearlessly modern, whether outspoken and rebellious or confessional and erotic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
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But Amy Madigan, who seemed like the rebellious, out-of-the-box pick for critics groups, made it into the hypercompetitive supporting actress category.—
Lindsey Bahr,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Israel — home to more Holocaust survivors than any other country — marks its remembrance day, Yom HaShoah, on the anniversary of the April 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, emphasizing the heroism of the Jewish insurgents who resisted the Nazi terror.—
Vanessa Gera,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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According to two senior government officials, the Canadian armed forces were drafting insurgent-like tactics mirroring those used by the Taliban to fight back against the US invasion of Afghanistan.—
Joe Wilkins Published Jan 21,
Futurism,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The movement could be broken apart by infighting over the succession, international allies might revolt, and domestic adversaries might find more appealing methods of responding to the crisis.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
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The fans had never revolted loudly.—
Michael Walker,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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When summoned before a congressional committee in December, Noem struck a defiant tone.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
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Between the river’s source, entrusted to an order of Orthodox nuns, and its southern delta, where caviar bound for the Kremlin is harvested, the author journeys through a defiant country transformed by war, sanctions, and reinvigorated patriotism.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Rahman is positioning himself as a bridge between a political aristocracy that dates back to Bangladesh’s liberation struggle and the aspirations of its young revolutionaries.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
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But that's not all − quarters honoring national heroes from the abolitionist, suffragette and civil rights eras have been scrapped and will be replaced by those celebrating the nation's early White pioneers and revolutionaries.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Treated by many Americans as a traitor who had mutinied, Mr. Thompson was threatened with prosecution by lawmakers before being recognized decades later as a hero.—
Anna Mulrine Grobe,
Christian Science Monitor,
6 Dec. 2025
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The 16th-century adventurer, who first circumnavigated the globe by sea in 1522, wavers beneath the pressure of his pursuit, ultimately leading his men to mutiny and madness on the Malay Archipelago.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
18 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rebel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebel. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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