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
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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
Tara Suter, The Hill, 29 Mar. 2026
In a message Monday on X, Sánchez said that so far there were no signs indicating that the plane was attacked by rebel groups that operate near Puerto Leguizamo.
—Arkansas Online, 24 Mar. 2026
Anderson Cooper, CBS News, 3 May 2026
In the late 1800s, Spanish military officials used concentration camps – reconcentrados – during their 1896–97 Cuban campaign to isolate civilians from rebels, resulting in widespread death and disease.
—Alex Braithwaite, The Conversation, 1 May 2026
Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026
Čapek’s robots, which are indistinguishable from humans, rise up and rebel against their creators, a plot that anticipates many robot stories that would follow.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Adjective
The rebel group could move to close the key Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea, which would compound the world’s energy crisis.
—Tara Suter, The Hill, 29 Mar. 2026
In a message Monday on X, Sánchez said that so far there were no signs indicating that the plane was attacked by rebel groups that operate near Puerto Leguizamo.
—Arkansas Online, 24 Mar. 2026
Noun
Diego Calderón Franco, a researcher and birding guide, was once kidnapped and held hostage by Marxist rebels in Colombia.
—Anderson Cooper, CBS News, 3 May 2026
In the late 1800s, Spanish military officials used concentration camps – reconcentrados – during their 1896–97 Cuban campaign to isolate civilians from rebels, resulting in widespread death and disease.
—Alex Braithwaite, The Conversation, 1 May 2026
Verb
More than two centuries after the 13 colonies rebelled against King George III and sent his redcoats packing, a direct descendant of that monarch will arrive Monday in Washington to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence from British rule.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026
Čapek’s robots, which are indistinguishable from humans, rise up and rebel against their creators, a plot that anticipates many robot stories that would follow.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebel
Adjective
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Artist Sean Gordon Murphy has always had a rebellious indie streak to his work.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
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The Clash are singing of a city aflame, the Sex Pistols are somehow getting more popular after imploding on tour, and on every street corner, mohawks and safety pins are on rebellious display.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
Noun
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Kidal's capture in a similar militant-insurgent alliance over a decade ago was at the root of the security crisis that has shaken Mali.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Mali has faced years of escalating insurgent violence; the ruling military junta, which pledged to restore stability in a 2020 coup, turned to Russia for assistance in its counterinsurgency campaign.—
Lauren Morganbesser,
semafor.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Others revolted against mask-wearing and caused a ruckus in the air.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
2 May 2026
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The plot’s framework mirrors Orwell’s with animals revolting against a farmer’s working conditions (sending them off to a slaughterhouse being the biggie).—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But an increasingly defiant Daisy has another idea.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
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While Google has struck a defiant tone, internal backlash appears to be mounting, with several employees criticizing the deal publicly.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
Noun
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Several of the world’s leading revolutionaries had spent time in the country.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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The second includes former revolutionaries, reformists, communist factions and groups such as the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), many of whom emerged from or once supported the revolutionary system before later opposing it.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 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 12 May. 2026.
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