REBELLING Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

rebelling 1 of 2

noun

as in rebellion

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rebelling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of rebel

as in revolting

to rise up against established authority the colonists rebelled in the wake of an onslaught of abuses

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 rebelling

Verb

With fatter paychecks, customers are rebelling against the chains that serve up shrinkflation and replace workers with broken self-checkout machines and touchscreen kiosks. — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026 Stephens arrives as if the plan remained intact, her head-to-toe leather look rebelling against the searing heat. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2026 Overnight, this 54-year-old Southern Californian began dealing with acid reflux, random bloating, constipation, and a rebelling digestive system that suddenly despised her favorite foods. — Cheryl Fenton, Flow Space, 17 Aug. 2026 Make the first right on the man who permitted the heads of rebelling slaves to be put on stakes and spread across the city in order to prevent the others from getting any ideas. — Terry Gross, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026 This story covers the rise of robots rebelling against their masters. — Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026 The common narrative is fixated upon 1776, the 13 rebelling Colonies and the bold military actions of Founding Fathers such as George Washington. — Sarah M.s. Pearsall, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 Years later, Billie keeps on rebelling – against everything. — Marta Balaga, Variety, 26 June 2026 That suggested fans were rebelling against high prices for tickets, or transportation. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 19 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebelling

Noun

The second book, Shift, consists of alternating flashback sequences, telling both the origin story of the silos and tales from past rebellions.

— Noel Murray, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
After a prolonged siege and fighting, the British recaptured Delhi and brutally suppressed the rebellion.

— Aishwarya Lakshmi, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of rebellion

Verb

Heimbach doesn’t believe that all law enforcement officers see homeless people as revolting, but some do.

— Trevor Morgan, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026
The fast growth of massive data centers has already upended races for local offices across the country, often uniting conservatives and liberals in revolting against projects in their midst.

— Marc Levy, Fortune, 23 July 2026

Definition of revolting

Noun

Another child said he was forced to carry out artillery strikes and beaten for disobedience.

— Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
But many Catholics, including conservative and traditional ones, are opposed to the consecrations, viewing them as an act of severe disobedience to the pope that hurts the church.

— ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026

Definition of disobedience

Noun

Whether writing five decades ago or today, the genre’s most insightful commentators have always observed how punk fuses rebelliousness with commodification, capitalism with resistance.

— Kyle Devine, Longreads, 14 July 2026
Marji’s rebelliousness, both admirable and terrifying for those who love her, is her salient characteristic.

— Hillary Chute, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026

Definition of rebelliousness

Verb

The gloves must touch someone’s skin directly to produce voltage that causes pain, which is intended to make people stop resisting officers.

— Kathy McCormack, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
Asking about being alone with a Haitian, for instance, prompted a quick lecture on resisting the forces of prejudice.

— Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of resisting

Noun

The accident caps a chaotic Giants season marked by social-media flare-ups, on-field insubordination and a Pride Night uniform dispute.

— Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026
Quarantine orders are met with wholesale insubordination, and the government begins to ratchet its way to full martial law.

— Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026

Definition of insubordination

Noun

That disparity reflects whom the system was built to target — whose neighborhoods get referrals, whose noncompliance gets flagged as dangerous rather than overlooked, and whose poverty or hospitalization is interpreted as risk, not need.

— Sakeena Trice, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is suing the private prison company GEO, which operates the Aurora ICE Processing Center, for noncompliance with a state public health order.

— Anna Alejo, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of noncompliance

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“Rebelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebelling. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of rebelling

noun

verb

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