REBELS Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

rebels 1 of 2

noun

plural of rebel

as in insurgents

a person who rises up against authority the rebel would not submit peacefully, even after he was captured

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rebels

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of rebel

as in revolts

to rise up against established authority the colonists rebelled in the wake of an onslaught of abuses

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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 rebels

Noun

Today, the challenges facing the continent include a humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, a spate of kidnappings and killings in Nigeria, and conflict between rebels and government forces in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. — Goodluck Ajeh, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Sep. 2026 The charges stemmed from fighting more than a decade ago between the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels who seized power from then-President François Bozizé, and a mainly Christian militia called the anti-Balaka. — Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026 In the south, an array of militias and armed groups arose over the years, ostensibly to back the government against the rebels. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026 This means that the junta not only has an eye on rebels in the country, but also on those who have fled. — Andrew Nachemson, The Dial, 22 Sep. 2026 All of these rebels form part of the rich and complex human comedy that Jean-Pierre Laffont has compiled over half a century in America. — Lucy Sante, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026 The State Department issued a caution warning to Americans in the Middle East on Saturday night after Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a ballistic missile at an airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital. — Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 20 Sep. 2026 Last week, Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a lightning offensive against Yemeni government forces, seizing control of the country’s entire Red Sea coast, including the towns and islands around the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 20 Sep. 2026 Mohamed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau, said Washington reached out to the rebels after their rapid advance down Yemen’s western coast to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait earlier this month. — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026

Verb

Masahiro Motoki — the Oscar-winning star of Departures — plays a lord who rebels against warlord Oda Nobunaga and barricades himself inside Arioka Castle, only to face a string of unsolved murders within its walls. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 18 Mar. 2026 Set against the backdrop of the 1998 São Paulo World Cup between Brazil and France, Amarela follows 14-year-old Erika Oguihara (Melissa Uehara), a Japanese Brazilian sports fanatic who rebels against her family’s more Japanese cultural traditions. — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 10 Jan. 2026 As the professor navigates retirement, the baby grows into a rambunctious child who rebels against the traditions of her fishing community. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebels

Noun

International sanctions persisted, and PF’s ZANLA and ZIPRA insurgents continued their liberation war.

— Chinatsu Tsuji, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026
Rancho libertarians, like their Scotch-Irish cousins from another mother, are forever skeptical of government, respect insurgents who want to take on the establishment, love their people and subscribe to a bootstraps approach to life.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of insurgents

Noun

Exiled revolutionaries needed somewhere to go, as did poorer residents who were hoping the revolution would improve conditions.

— Blaise Mesa, jsonline.com, 18 Sep. 2026
The new Congress, established on the revolutionaries’ battle cry of no taxation without representation, also needed to pay the bills.

— Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026