as in revolts
open fighting against authority (as one's own government)
the rebellion would have failed if not for the aid sent by other countries
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Recent Examples of rebellions
And, of course, boarding schools themselves can be immensely silly, dominated by boys’ pranks, rebellions, and mishaps.
—
Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
Here are some notable uses of the Insurrection Act, usually to quell rebellions or in cases where local or state authorities were unable or unwilling to maintain order or uphold the Constitution.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Signed by Thomas Jefferson in 1807, Congress originally passed the law in order to help fight citizen rebellions against federal taxes.
—Jennifer Selin, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2026
Worth about $5 million, the Chew Valley Hoard is believed to have been hidden for safekeeping nearly 1,000 years ago, as Saxon rebellions against William the Conqueror roiled England; just under half of the 2,584 coins feature the last Anglo-Saxon king Harold II.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 3 Dec. 2025
While the sicko elites bask in the violence, Kawaji sees the Kodoku as a means of exterminating the remaining samurai, who have staged multiple rebellions against the Japanese empire.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Nov. 2025
In the 1980s, militia fighters and military intelligence officers dispatched to southern Sudan to put down rebellions massacred civilians and created widespread hunger.
—Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2025
Pervasive disregard for the orders to integrate facilities fueled violent race rebellions across the country in the summer of 1943.
—Time, 5 Nov. 2025
The display is typically only removed in cases of high treason or rebellions against the Crown, according to The Sun.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 16 Jan. 2026
Here are some notable uses of the Insurrection Act, usually to quell rebellions or in cases where local or state authorities were unable or unwilling to maintain order or uphold the Constitution.
—Josh Meyer, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
Signed by Thomas Jefferson in 1807, Congress originally passed the law in order to help fight citizen rebellions against federal taxes.
—Jennifer Selin, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2026
Worth about $5 million, the Chew Valley Hoard is believed to have been hidden for safekeeping nearly 1,000 years ago, as Saxon rebellions against William the Conqueror roiled England; just under half of the 2,584 coins feature the last Anglo-Saxon king Harold II.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 3 Dec. 2025
While the sicko elites bask in the violence, Kawaji sees the Kodoku as a means of exterminating the remaining samurai, who have staged multiple rebellions against the Japanese empire.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Nov. 2025
In the 1980s, militia fighters and military intelligence officers dispatched to southern Sudan to put down rebellions massacred civilians and created widespread hunger.
—Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2025
Pervasive disregard for the orders to integrate facilities fueled violent race rebellions across the country in the summer of 1943.
—Time, 5 Nov. 2025
The display is typically only removed in cases of high treason or rebellions against the Crown, according to The Sun.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebellions
Noun
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The society’s equilibrium has been profoundly disrupted and can easily tip into escalating popular revolts and open elite resistance, producing a revolution.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The result was that, where earlier fiscal crises had been met by waves of municipal-level revolts against mainstream economic policies, New York witnessed no such revolts in the 1970s.—
Daniel Wortel-London,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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So, at the heart of these uprisings in 2022, and even before that, women played a central role in seeking justice and trying to push towards greater freedoms.—
Maggie McGrath,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Iran has experienced many communications blackouts in the immediate aftermath of uprisings but never anything like the current one.—
Talla Mountjoy,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Unlike coups or insurrections, which are swift and explicit, modern democratic backsliding is often incremental.—
Helena Carpio,
Time,
16 Jan. 2026
-
The 1807 measure allows the president to deploy members of the military or federalize state National Guard members to contain insurrections.—
Sarah Davis,
The Hill,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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This includes leader assassination attempts by political opponents or lone wolves or mutinies by disgruntled soldiers who might even march on the presidential palace to demand higher pay, promotions or other policy concessions.—
John Joseph Chin,
The Conversation,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rebellions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebellions. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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