Synonyms of rebellion

rebellion

noun

ri-ˈbel-yən 

1

as in revolt

open fighting against authority (as one's own government)

the rebellion would have failed if not for the aid sent by other countries

Synonyms & Similar Words

• revolt
• insurrection
• uprising
• mutiny
• insurgency
• revolution
• insurgence
• outbreak
• coup
• overthrow
• rising
• treachery
• sedition
• treason
• coup d'état
• subversion
• sabotage
• misprision

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• counterinsurgency
• counterrevolution

2

as in defiance

refusal to obey

the period of rebellion that teenagers typically go through

Synonyms & Similar Words

• defiance
• rebelliousness
• disobedience
• willfulness
• disrespect
• insubordination
• waywardness
• unruliness
• contrariness
• contumacy
• recalcitrance
• rudeness
• intractability
• refractoriness
• frowardness
• balkiness
• civil disobedience
• obstreperousness
• stubbornness
• noncooperation
• insolence
• perversity
• obstinacy
• self-will
• impudence
• inconsiderateness
• tenacity
• peevishness
• impoliteness
• inconsideration
• obduracy
• pigheadedness
• pertinacity
• doggedness
• naughtiness
• impertinence
• mischievousness
• ungraciousness
• tenaciousness
• hardheadedness
• discourteousness
• knavery
• obdurateness
• mulishness
• obstinateness
• pertinaciousness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• obedience
• subordination
• submission
• compliance
• tractability
• subservience
• amiability
• submissiveness
• amenability
• subserviency
• agreeability
• slavishness
• tractableness
• subordinateness
• deference
• docility
• trainability
• dutifulness

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun rebellion differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of rebellion are insurrection, mutiny, revolt, revolution, and uprising. While all these words mean "an outbreak against authority," rebellion implies an open formidable resistance that is often unsuccessful.

open rebellion against the officers

Where would mutiny be a reasonable alternative to rebellion?

The words mutiny and rebellion can be used in similar contexts, but mutiny applies to group insubordination or insurrection especially against naval authority.

a mutiny led by the ship's cook

How do revolt and insurrection relate to one another, in the sense of rebellion?

Both revolt and insurrection imply an armed uprising that quickly fails or succeeds.

a revolt by the Young Turks that surprised party leaders

an insurrection of oppressed laborers

When might revolution be a better fit than rebellion?

The words revolution and rebellion are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, revolution applies to a successful rebellion resulting in a major change (as in government).

a political revolution that toppled the monarchy

In what contexts can uprising take the place of rebellion?

While in some cases nearly identical to rebellion, uprising implies a brief, limited, and often immediately ineffective rebellion.

quickly put down the uprising

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of rebellion

Even being on a red carpet, watching all these different bodies on a red carpet, this feels like rebellion to show up with this crew in Hollywood. — Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026

The whole thing would be just another cringeworthy display of teenage rebellion if the potential consequences weren’t so serious — many of those bikes are equipped with powerful electric motors and can go up to 60 mph. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026

But the court found that the June 2025 protests in Los Angeles were responses to federal immigration enforcement, not part of an organized rebellion. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Within 36 hours one of the prisoners had an apparent mental breakdown, and on the second day the inmates staged a rebellion. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026