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
Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 28 July 2025
Those attacks largely stopped following a U.S. bombing campaign against the rebel group in March of this year, after which a ceasefire was announced by President Donald Trump in mid-May.
—Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 27 July 2025
Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 July 2025
The attackers were members of the Islamist Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a sanctioned rebel group with roots in Uganda.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2025
Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
While strong criticism has come from his opposition—the Conservative Party—members within his own party have also rebelled against the measure.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Adjective
An Islamic State affiliate killed more than 40 churchgoers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a region already beset by government clashes with a separate rebel group.
—Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 28 July 2025
Those attacks largely stopped following a U.S. bombing campaign against the rebel group in March of this year, after which a ceasefire was announced by President Donald Trump in mid-May.
—Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 27 July 2025
Noun
In December, a surprise offensive led by Islamist rebels ultimately toppled the government, putting in power Syrian Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former associate of Al-Qaeda who has rejected jihadi ideologies in recent years.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 July 2025
The attackers were members of the Islamist Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a sanctioned rebel group with roots in Uganda.
—Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2025
Verb
Nelson and Jennings rebelled at Nashville's music restrictions, sparking the outlaw country movement.
—Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
While strong criticism has come from his opposition—the Conservative Party—members within his own party have also rebelled against the measure.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebel
Adjective
-
The story follows Bárbara, rebellious and broke, who fakes her way into a convent for a private room and some peace—only to find herself on an unexpected spiritual journey.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
16 Aug. 2025
-
The town’s rebellious spirit and dreamy beach backdrop attracted a who’s who in music, from Duke Ellington in the 1920s to Led Zeppelin, who skipped Woodstock in 1969 to play the Asbury Park Convention Hall.—
Jen Murphy,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Lahav emphasized that stringent measures would need to be taken in Israel's outreach to Iranian insurgent groups to avoid creating outcomes with the potential to be just as unfavorable, or even more unfavorable, to national and regional security.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 July 2025
-
Saturday’s bracket gets going with one-time tourney staple UCLA and insurgent Murray State.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
13 June 2025
Verb
-
While some welcomed the update with open arms, other users revolted.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Turkish savers revolted against the lira, with nearly 70% of bank deposits denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies by the peak in 2022-2023.—
Matthew C. Klein,
semafor.com,
17 July 2025
Adjective
-
In its 56th edition, the photography festival, running until 5th October, embraces the provocatively defiant theme Disobedient Images, under the directorship of Christoph Wiesner.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Even postgrads, navigating early adulthood in a shifting economic landscape, leaned into the aesthetic, dressing with a kind of defiant playfulness that pushed back against the pressure to look older.—
Alexandra Jane,
Essence,
31 July 2025
Noun
-
Dad’s grandfather had been a cabinetmaker by day and a socialist revolutionary by night.—
Nancy Walecki,
The Atlantic,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Her dancers wore Black berets—a symbol of global Black resistance, from the Panthers in the U.S. to Caribbean revolutionaries like Che Guevara and Fidel Castro.—
Richard Fowler,
Forbes.com,
27 July 2025
Verb
-
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
-
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 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share