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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 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
Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Though rebels surrendered, the uprising set the stage for the broader push against British occupation and ultimately, the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Lee Billings, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
Two decades after Steve Jobs premiered the iPhone, a small but passionate movement — with offshoots in several countries — is rebelling against the omnipresent screen.
—ABC News, 15 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
Around six months after the prince’s email, Epstein started exploring potential business ventures with the anti-Gaddafi rebel forces, who ousted and killed the dictator in 2011.
—Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Though rebels surrendered, the uprising set the stage for the broader push against British occupation and ultimately, the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
Nothing can escape their depths, but as matter funnels into them, a small fraction of it can rebel at the brink of oblivion and form twin jets of terrifying power near the black hole’s poles that beam out into space.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
Two decades after Steve Jobs premiered the iPhone, a small but passionate movement — with offshoots in several countries — is rebelling against the omnipresent screen.
—ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebel
Adjective
-
Kravitz's sign is adventurous, blunt and always chasing a new adventure, while Styles' sign is rebellious, independent and slightly unpredictable.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
-
This tale of a rebellious unemployed mouse has already won a Goya.—
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
Others revolted against mask-wearing and caused a ruckus in the air.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
2 May 2026
-
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
-
But an increasingly defiant Daisy has another idea.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
-
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
-
Several of the world’s leading revolutionaries had spent time in the country.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
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
-
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
-
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 9 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
