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
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 27 May 2025
Then, in October 2011, rebel militiamen executed Qaddafi.
—Henry Leutwyler Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 20 May 2025
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 May 2025
But the rebels held on, despite almost no outside support.
—Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 20 May 2025
The Catholic Church is not simply a spiritual enterprise; John Paul II was instrumental in cracking the Soviet bloc by inspiring his native Poland to rebel.
—Howard Chua-Eoan, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Adjective
In the final episode, the rebel forces are mobilizing to try and take the country back.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 27 May 2025
Then, in October 2011, rebel militiamen executed Qaddafi.
—Henry Leutwyler Robert Petkoff Emma Kehlbeck Quinton Kamara, New York Times, 20 May 2025
Noun
In 1965 its members did establish the Inter-American Peace Force and deployed over 1,700 troops, headed by a Brazilian general and a. U.S. Army General as deputy, to confront rebels in the Dominican Republic.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 May 2025
But the rebels held on, despite almost no outside support.
—Nicolas Niarchos, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
Verb
Shiva among them — here to reflect the rapid changes of Iranian society post-Woman, Life, Freedom movement, where women rebelled against the morality police overseeing their oppression.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 20 May 2025
The Catholic Church is not simply a spiritual enterprise; John Paul II was instrumental in cracking the Soviet bloc by inspiring his native Poland to rebel.
—Howard Chua-Eoan, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebel
Adjective
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Many historians estimate that at least 15 to 20 percent of the population remained loyal to the crown, some even taking up arms against their rebellious neighbors and fighting alongside the British.—
Greg Daugherty,
Smithsonian Magazine,
4 June 2025
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Inspired by 1953’s The Wild One starring Marlon Brando, the song and video captures the rebellious spirit of the cult classic, with scenes of a motorcycle being driven on an open road and birds in flight.—
Althea Legaspi,
Rolling Stone,
4 June 2025
Noun
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Authorities have also reported sightings of ELN guerrillas, a Colombian-Venezuelan insurgent faction, operating near key Guyanese border towns.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2025
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Spain approved the deal on Oct. 3, 2023, four days before an insurgent assault led by Hamas on southern Israel that sparked a devastating war in Gaza.—
Brittany Williams,
Arkansas Online,
4 June 2025
Verb
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But the company’s employees revolted, and he was reinstated shortly thereafter with the support of Microsoft.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
30 May 2025
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Both books climax with the weekend in November 2023 when Altman was abruptly fired by his company’s board, only to be reinstated days later after staff members and investors revolted.—
Tim Wu,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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Kim Kardashian made a defiant walk into Paris' Palace of Justice in May, to face the criminals who held the reality star at gunpoint and robbed in 2016.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
6 June 2025
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In an era defined by digital speed, algorithmic curation, and disposable listening, Gearbox Records has carved out a defiant space for intentionality, sonic depth, and analog fidelity.—
Steve Baltin,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Noun
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But because of World War I and the sabotage by Arab revolutionaries and T.E. Lawrence, only the segment from Damascus to Medina was completed.—
Taylor Luck,
Christian Science Monitor,
6 June 2025
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Zsa-zsa’s many enemies include American secret agents, an international business consortium, and a well-armed band of revolutionaries, led by a man named Sergio (Richard Ayoade).—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
29 May 2025
Verb
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In 1913, Swiss Guards mutinied for a week in response but eventually received military training as Repond wanted, Alvarez wrote in The Pope's Soldiers: A Military History of the Modern Vatican.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
7 May 2025
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In June 2023, the group mutinied and marched on Moscow before then leader Yevgeny Prigozhin negotiated a deal with the Kremlin.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
13 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Rebel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebel. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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