1
as in deserters
a person who abandons a cause or organization usually without right
traditionally armies have dealt harshly with recreants, with execution being a common punishment for desertion during wartime
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cowards
a person who shows a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger
the historian reserved his greatest contempt for those recreants who opposed the witch hunt but lacked the courage to speak out against it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in traitors
one who betrays a trust or an allegiance
a spy and recreant to his country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recreants
Noun
-
Harry Truman granted amnesty to certain World War II deserters, while Jimmy Carter granted pardons to hundreds of thousands of individuals who dodged the draft during the Vietnam War.—
Stewart Ulrich,
The Conversation,
15 Dec. 2025 -
More important, though, is the fact that the judge who posited that hordes of deserters could follow Vovchenko’s example seems to be overstepping his role.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
And Trump calls ’em almost like cowards.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Put beaks on the helmets, you cowards.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The challenge gave the faithful a chance to identify the traitors with just a few rounds left.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
12 Feb. 2026
-
But that does not mean that those Maryland families with pre-war Confederate roots were, or are, traitors.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Only a few of her captors speak French, so most of her days are spent nonverbally (and Depardon reinforces the isolation by not subtitling the rebels’ dialogue in their native language).—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Despite denim enthusiasts often being drawn to traditionally masculine iconography—such as the Wild West, cowboys, and Hollywood rebels like Marlon Brando and James Dean—what truly defines the subculture is a deep appreciation for nostalgia, freedom, and self-expression.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
While a surge in bird flu cases among breeder chickens pushed the national average to a new record in June, those increases were measured in a few cents.—
Claire Malon,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Nationwide, the first successful prosecution happened in 2016 when a Houston man was sentenced to five years for creating videos that featured a woman mutilating and killing puppies, chickens and kittens and distributing them on the internet.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2026
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
-
But in order to remain a meaningful platform for creative renegades, the festival needs to also take risks.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
-
But a few renegades creatively defected across the pond, looking instead at America for inspiration.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
23 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Recreants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recreants. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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