REBELLING Synonyms: 84 Similar and Opposite Words

rebelling 1 of 2

noun

as in rebellion

Related Words

Relevance

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

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 rebelling

Verb

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 After rebelling against the authority of the Jade Emperor (the supreme deity in traditional Chinese cosmology), he is subdued by the Buddha and imprisoned beneath the Five Elements Mountain. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebelling

Noun

Mali has previously faced insurgencies by militants affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the country’s north.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
Shakespeare’s description now appears more significant and also helps explain why the Bard’s production of Richard II in February 1601 coincided with the start of the Earl of Essex’s rebellion.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 9 July 2026

Definition of rebellion

Verb

The emotional circuit that my favorite songs lit up inside me was too vivid; music felt overwhelming, if not revolting.

— Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
Whether the effort to stabilize things by Ellison and Bilton is enough to keep viewers engaged and staff from revolting remains to be seen.

— Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2026

Definition of revolting

Noun

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
But many Catholics not in Econe, including conservative and traditional ones, opposed the consecrations as an act of severe disobedience that hurts the church.

— Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

Definition of disobedience

Noun

Marji’s rebelliousness, both admirable and terrifying for those who love her, is her salient characteristic.

— Hillary Chute, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
The pseudo-goth hair and costume choices speak to an inner rebelliousness that isn’t so much unleashed as forced loose by a system that values the appearance of a mythical impartiality over her humanity, leaving her with little recourse but to step outside the confines of the law.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 23 Feb. 2026

Definition of rebelliousness

Verb

The Hansons both face felony second-degree battery charges and misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, while Bone faces misdemeanor charges of obstructing government operations, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

— Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 9 July 2026
Under the banner of resisting the West, Khamenei defied sanctions to build up the country’s nuclear program, its arsenal of missiles and its network of militant allies across the region.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 July 2026

Definition of resisting

Noun

The state’s action, which took effect Monday, cites multiple noncompliance issues against the Provo Canyon School’s campus in Springville.

— Kathy McCormack, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Over the past decade, the IRS has steadily narrowed the avenues through which international taxpayers can resolve past tax noncompliance without facing penalties.

— Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of noncompliance

Cite this Entry

Style

“Rebelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebelling. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of rebelling

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on rebelling

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fulcrum

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes