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
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rebel
Manuel Rueda, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Bellingcat published evidence that Russia had bombed a mosque and a hospital in the country and had used cluster munitions on a rebel group that was backed by the United States.
—Nick Tabor, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
Eastern Congo has experienced some of its worst violence in years, with M23 rebels seizing large parts of North Kivu and advancing toward the regional capital, Goma, disrupting road links and border crossings.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Apr. 2026
Republicans themselves remain divided over how to proceed, with some hard-right lawmakers already rebelling against the shutdown deal.
—Nik Popli, Time, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Adjective
Petro, a leftist who was a member of a rebel group in his youth, has attempted to stage peace talks with Colombia’s remaining rebel groups under a strategy known as total peace.
—Manuel Rueda, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Bellingcat published evidence that Russia had bombed a mosque and a hospital in the country and had used cluster munitions on a rebel group that was backed by the United States.
—Nick Tabor, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
Why isn’t Homelander lasering these rebels immediately?
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
Eastern Congo has experienced some of its worst violence in years, with M23 rebels seizing large parts of North Kivu and advancing toward the regional capital, Goma, disrupting road links and border crossings.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Verb
The central authority of the emperor became tenuous, and non-Muslim communities such as the Sikhs and Rajputs rebelled against Aurangzeb’s policies.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Apr. 2026
Republicans themselves remain divided over how to proceed, with some hard-right lawmakers already rebelling against the shutdown deal.
—Nik Popli, Time, 7 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebel
Adjective
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The film explores the iconic partnership between Fonteyn, a 42-year-old prima ballerina and Britain’s most famous dancer, and Rudolf Nureyev, the 23-year-old rebellious Soviet defector who became her partner on stage (and, it was rumored, off it as well).—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
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When the skyscraper where Rayburn and his family lives is destroyed in an explosion, Creasy attempts to regain his military prowess in his determination to protect Rayburn’s rebellious teen daughter Poe (Billie Boullet), who has been targeted by the terrorists.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
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The house also is connected to Connecticut history through the Amistad, the ship from which, in 1839, kidnapped Africans revolted and fought successfully for their freedom.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
20 Apr. 2026
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Democrats were unhappy, worried that residents in deep blue jurisdictions might revolt if they were forced to bear the full brunt of the heavy state and local tax burden.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In her first public appearance since leaving Congress, Cherfilus-McCormick struck a defiant tone, framing her situation as a setback rather than an ending.—
WPEC Staff,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
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While Metcalf’s Linda adopts a facade of stoicism to shield her family from the grief erupting in her, Abbott’s Biff is forced to reveal the broken man behind the defiant veneer.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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In 1777, he was summoned to Paris to meet with American revolutionaries, including Benjamin Franklin.—
Amanda Rosa
Updated April 28,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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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 2 May. 2026.
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