rebellion

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

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 rebellion Advertisement When that resistance exploded into open warfare in 1775, the royal army’s mission shifted from enforcing the law to defeating the rebellion. Time, 9 Oct. 2025 Erivo will voice Jayne Staplegun, a trailblazing fairy whose defiant streak sparks a rebellion. Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025 While some people’s definition of chef-driven is simply that there is a chef who may or may not have taken photos with the side of a pig over their shoulder, my definition requires a rebellion. Eddie Huang, Curbed, 9 Oct. 2025 There is no rebellion in Illinois. Megan Forrester, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rebellion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebellion
Noun
  • Former Roanoke women's swim captain Lily Mullens, who led an athlete revolt against the program in 2023 that culminated in a press conference and lawsuit, told Fox News Digital her reaction to Spanberger's answer.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
  • The Onondagas support plans announced by the mayor of Syracuse in 2020 to remove the statue of Columbus, an Italian explorer who helped the Spanish establish a colonial foothold in the Caribbean and later suppressed revolts by Indigenous people.
    Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Flattering, placating, and kowtowing only seem to spark escalating demands while defiance risks retaliation.
    Jeff Kingston, Time, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Saturday’s look aligned her with a brand known for its romantic defiance.
    Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The National Guard can be deployed to assist Americans during natural disasters and in times of insurrection or open revolt.
    Brian Bennett, Time, 6 Oct. 2025
  • There is no insurrection in Portland.
    Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 5 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The performance goes from fiery to ineffectual as DiCaprio’s character, Bob, loses his youthful rebelliousness in a haze of pot and resignation.
    Tim Grierson, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
  • The rebelliousness can be witnessed in everything from its ’70s-in-California style to the very naming conventions Mother chooses for its viral products — adored by A-listers like Gigi Hadid, Chrissy Teigen, Millie Bobby Brown, and more.
    Kristina Rutkowski, Footwear News, 22 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Barghouti has spent more than 20 years in prison and is serving five life sentences after his 2004 conviction for the murder of four Israelis and a Greek Orthodox monk during the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising.
    Yamiche Alcindor, NBC news, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Krasznahorkai was born in Hungary in 1954, two years before the Soviets viciously crushed an uprising in Budapest, and his first two novels are soaked through with an atmosphere of political terror.
    Walt Hunter, The Atlantic, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • While this change reduces the explicit admission of willfulness, a narrative is still required.
    Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Playoffs have been under the shadow of league star Napheesa Collier speaking with pointed criticism of commissioner Cathy Engelbert in what amounts to a mutiny against the commish, with other players backing Collier.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
  • But to the enslaved Africans transported on these ships, that mermaid was a symbol of righteous rebellion and holy mutinies.
    Time, Time, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Moja Rowa Colorful disobedience is how Moja Rowa cofounders Yelena Mojarova and Edward Benedikt Sittler characterize their creative spirit and brand ethos.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2025
  • The ladies move closer to God through acts of disobedience, debauchery, and disgrace; by visiting seedy places and commingling with the disreputable.
    Nicole Flattery, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rebellion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebellion. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on rebellion

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