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
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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
Sebastian Jimenez, CNN Money, 31 May 2026
Attacks in the region by the Allied Democratic Forces, a rebel group allied with the militant organization Islamic State, and a coalition of ethnic militias have also hindered the response.
—Justin Kabumba, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Thomas Hobbes took a very dim view of rebels and insurrectionists.
—Austin Sarat, Fortune, 24 May 2026
Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
Jane rebelled against Marge’s efforts to manage her choices, especially on whom to date.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Adjective
Although the country saw a break in violence between rebel groups and the government in the 10 years since the historic agreement between guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) and the government, criminal gang activity is rising.
—Sebastian Jimenez, CNN Money, 31 May 2026
Attacks in the region by the Allied Democratic Forces, a rebel group allied with the militant organization Islamic State, and a coalition of ethnic militias have also hindered the response.
—Justin Kabumba, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
Noun
The Halliwells position themselves as rebels disrupting the beauty industry with innovative, microbiome-friendly products, catering to a growing consumer demand for natural and effective solutions.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 25 May 2026
Thomas Hobbes took a very dim view of rebels and insurrectionists.
—Austin Sarat, Fortune, 24 May 2026
Verb
Jumping, rebelling, expelling, reacting, acting.
—Abraham Jiménez Enoa, The Dial, 19 May 2026
Jane rebelled against Marge’s efforts to manage her choices, especially on whom to date.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebel
Adjective
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In others, the rebellious teenager drinks elsewhere.—
Thomas Lake,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
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For a distillery known as much for its rebellious personality as its whisky, bringing back a bottle called Yellow Submarine feels pretty on-brand.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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The outbreak, reported in 14 of Borno state’s 27 local governments, is unfolding in communities with health systems made fragile by nearly two decades of violent extremism from the Boko Haram insurgent group.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
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After Daft Punk’s rise from underground dance music heroes to chart-topping pop insurgents, Bangalter followed different muses in different directions.—
Andy Battaglia,
ARTnews.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
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The players revolted, boycotting training over Anelka’s treatment.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
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Congress, having discovered some spine, should revolt at this blatant self-dealing as well.—
Austin Elias-de Jesus,
New Yorker,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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Continue reading … POLITICS GROUNDED — Republicans cheer plan to choke international travel at defiant liberal hubs.—
,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
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Speaking to voters over the weekend from the picturesque resort town of Ogunquit, the Washington Examiner found an air of unease among some, in one case downright hostility, and in others defiant support.—
David Millward,
The Washington Examiner,
7 June 2026
Noun
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Kings, poets, scientists and revolutionaries wanted to meet him and sought his advice.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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Al Pacino plays a CIA operative orchestrating a covert plan to eliminate the Cuban revolutionary.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Starmer’s premiership is on a knife-edge this week as a significant number of Labour Party MPs have openly mutinied, calling for the PM to resign immediately, or to set out a timetable for his departure.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Rebel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebel. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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