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
Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2025
Originally, the many rebel groups fighting Assad’s forces included both secular and Islamic militias.
—Rami Zeedan, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2025
Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
But parents from years past had fewer regulations, so kids were able to experience boredom, befriend kids their parents were unfamiliar with, and rebel in small ways outside of their parents purview (like stealing from Claire's or putting on layers of Nars blush in the 7th grade).
—Annabelle Canela, Parents, 4 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
In a time when consumers are rebelling against sky-high hotel prices and service that doesn't seem to keep up, Cohen says his collection, currently part of Small Luxury Hotels, offers high value with offseason rates starting at around $300 per night and suites in the $1,500 per night range.
—Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Adjective
Gilroy’s version was an origin story tracing the making of a revolutionary, the education of Cassian Andor as a scruffy, reluctant malcontent who is radicalized into a rebel leader.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2025
Originally, the many rebel groups fighting Assad’s forces included both secular and Islamic militias.
—Rami Zeedan, The Conversation, 11 Aug. 2025
Noun
Tranter is something of a loner, and right from the start he is presented as something of a rebel, albeit a leader who looks after his men.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
But parents from years past had fewer regulations, so kids were able to experience boredom, befriend kids their parents were unfamiliar with, and rebel in small ways outside of their parents purview (like stealing from Claire's or putting on layers of Nars blush in the 7th grade).
—Annabelle Canela, Parents, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
Estelle also noticed that her peers from church and her neighborhood rebelled against social expectations in striking ways.
—Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
In a time when consumers are rebelling against sky-high hotel prices and service that doesn't seem to keep up, Cohen says his collection, currently part of Small Luxury Hotels, offers high value with offseason rates starting at around $300 per night and suites in the $1,500 per night range.
—Doug Gollan, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebel
Adjective
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Written by Kaitlin Reilly and Dorian Keyes, the film follows a rebellious bad boy and a type-A overachiever who join forces to win the student body presidency – and maybe each other’s hearts along the way.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
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In business, as in life, there are times when conformity is an asset, but in others, embracing your individuality, inhabiting your rebellious spirit and being a true trailblazer are what lead to success.—
Paul Fitzgerald,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This might enable a mission which, for example, a Viper is located covertly next to a safe house known to be used by insurgents.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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As the occupation wore on, the Iraqis became proficient at building roadside bombs in basements, garages, and other insurgent test kitchens spread across Baghdad and Anbar.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Several professional medical societies, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, have revolted against the government, and last month published immunization guidelines that diverge from the current CDC’s.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
5 Sep. 2025
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Just days ago, OpenAI was forced into damage control after users revolted against GPT-5’s colder, more clinical tone.—
Victor Dey,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The trio – who had never appeared together in public before – formed the defiant face of an emerging bloc of illiberal leaders determined to push back against Western rules and tilt the global balance of power in their favor.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
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While Massie remains defiant, the episode highlights how Trump’s threats alone can destabilize even entrenched incumbents.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The film was One Battle After Another, Anderson’s high-octane adaptation of Vineland, Thomas Pynchon’s anarchic 1990 novel about a crew of former leftist revolutionaries — the French 75 — living in a slightly more dystopian version of present-day America.—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
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The plot centers around a former revolutionary who must reunite with old associates to find his missing daughter.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
4 Sep. 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 10 Sep. 2025.
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