REBELLING Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

rebelling 1 of 2

noun

as in rebellion

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Dissimilar Words

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

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 Male guardians of this ideological camp circulated defamatory letters from prison, denouncing me for unveiling and rebelling against mandatory veiling. — Literary Hub, 18 June 2026 The musical, which features a rock score, is based on the 1891 play by Frank Wedekind, which follows a group of teenagers in 19th-century Germany who are discovering their sexuality and rebelling against the strict rules set by their parents. — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 10 June 2026 These fears lead them to rebelling against the technology overall. — Staff Author, Parents, 7 June 2026 The teenagers were rebelling, like teenagers are supposed to. — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebelling

Noun

The mythmaking rebellion of Tekena, first of her name, for the sake of a coward’s love was as recognizable to her descendants as their need to cross borders, both ethnic and geographic, in search of a happiness that wasn’t promised.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
The rebellion has been absorbed by the very system it was built to replace.

— Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 6 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

Santiago and Teague were arraigned on Monday on the same charges, with Teague also charged with resisting arrest, while Rodriguez Diaz was arraigned on Monday on a single misdemeanor count of meeting a minor for lewd purposes.

— Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Wounaan have spent centuries refusing and resisting those forces, fighting against those who take land and rights unjustly.

— Chenier Carpio Opua, The Conversation, 5 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

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“Rebelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebelling. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of rebelling

noun

verb

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