as in insurgents
a person who rises up against authority
the rebel would not submit peacefully, even after he was captured
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in revolts
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
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Recent Examples of rebels
Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
According to a United Nations report, since seizing Rubaya, the rebels have imposed taxes on the trade and transport of coltan, generating at least $800,000 a month.
—Justin Kabumba, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Marcos briefly suspended habeas corpus and blamed his sclerotic economy on the agitations of leftist rebels, students, journalists, and preachers.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The Season 2 finale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians saw Percy (Walker Scobell), Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), Grover (Aryan Simhadri) mobilize the rest of the demigods against Luke (Charlie Bushnell) and his ragtag crew of rebels working to resurrect Kronos.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2026
Annabeth and Grover tell Percy that Chiron has returned, Luke has vanished, and the monsters and rebels have been driven away from the camp.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Myanmar’s anti-government rebels — and a burgeoning industry of online scam centers — rely on Starlink to circumvent internet blocks.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 15 Jan. 2026
The colonies need to declare independence, Paine wrote, because so long as their goal was seen as reconciliation, foreign governments would consider the Americans as rebels and the conflict an internal affair.
—Frederic J. Fransen, Twin Cities, 13 Jan. 2026
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
Noun
Aleppo had fallen to the rebels by the time Assad landed back in Damascus.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
According to a United Nations report, since seizing Rubaya, the rebels have imposed taxes on the trade and transport of coltan, generating at least $800,000 a month.
—Justin Kabumba, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
Marcos briefly suspended habeas corpus and blamed his sclerotic economy on the agitations of leftist rebels, students, journalists, and preachers.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The Season 2 finale of Percy Jackson and the Olympians saw Percy (Walker Scobell), Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), Grover (Aryan Simhadri) mobilize the rest of the demigods against Luke (Charlie Bushnell) and his ragtag crew of rebels working to resurrect Kronos.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2026
Annabeth and Grover tell Percy that Chiron has returned, Luke has vanished, and the monsters and rebels have been driven away from the camp.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Myanmar’s anti-government rebels — and a burgeoning industry of online scam centers — rely on Starlink to circumvent internet blocks.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 15 Jan. 2026
The colonies need to declare independence, Paine wrote, because so long as their goal was seen as reconciliation, foreign governments would consider the Americans as rebels and the conflict an internal affair.
—Frederic J. Fransen, Twin Cities, 13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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
-
Those funds often backed far-right Republican insurgents.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Amid the nods to social media and cancel culture and the shallow perils of modern celebrity, the image of Taylor-Joy’s disciplined group of insurgents, who speak in almost archaic, poetic dialogue, strikes a bracing contrast.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
With that mental reframing, the American (and then French and other) revolutionaries changed not just their own country, but the world.—
Andreas Kluth,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Rahman is positioning himself as a bridge between a political aristocracy that dates back to Bangladesh’s liberation struggle and the aspirations of its young revolutionaries.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rebels.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebels. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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