as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
several recusant senators refused to vote as commanded by the party leadership
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in resister
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Recent Examples of recusant
Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, 15 July 2019
Noun
The uniform of the conformist — sports shirt, cardigan, tennis shoes — is as easily recognized as that of the recusant — dirty white T, sideburns, two days’ growth of beard.
—Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, 15 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recusant
Adjective
-
The brand cultivates a fun, rebellious, and inclusive culture.—
Susan Stapleton,
Des Moines Register,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Your 11th House of Friendship hosts Venus, who squares rebellious Uranus in your 2nd House of Resources, pushing group plans against changing costs.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Tanimoto, as the last living Block 42 resister, carries a singular piece of that history — a controversy and act of resistance within the walls of confinement that illustrated the dilemma faced by people imprisoned by their own country without accusation of a crime.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Sherrill focused many of her critiques on ICE and Trump’s immigration policies, positioning the state as a major resister of Trump’s deportation plans.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Tutu, the new documentary from Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI, 4 Little Girls), is a behind-the-scenes look at the life of the smiling, joyous rebel clergyman who helped end Apartheid.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Feb. 2026
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But Koch wasn’t Ogden’s only rebel influence.—
Bill Donahue,
Outside,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In those early days, Zelensky’s uncanny capacity for survival and humor encapsulated the defiant mood of the country.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
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As the last survivor of the Block 42 resisters, Tanimoto has kept awareness of that complicated, defiant chapter of Japanese American history alive by sharing his story, including at a Day of Remembrance event taking place at noon Saturday at the Sutter County Museum in Yuba City.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Or an historian of Polynesian culture giving a lecture about tattooing, or the time Captain Bligh stopped on the atoll to look for the mutineer Fletcher Christian.—
Antonia Quirke,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
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Language purists like to remind anyone who will listen that decimation actually means the slaughter of one in ten people, and was the military punishment wielded by the Roman army against deserters and mutineers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The first to turn in a petition was Councilmember Traci Park, who is facing two challengers while running for reelection in a coastal district.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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The second are investment-grade software firms like Salesforce and Adobe that have robust balance sheets and can implement AI to fend off challengers.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Deporting supposed gang members and Hamas supporters without due process may violate any number of statutes, but forcing oppositionists to defend these people’s rights allows the administration to paint them as defending their ideas.—
Garry Kasparov,
The Atlantic,
17 Apr. 2025
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Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is a Sunni Islamist umbrella group of oppositionist forces with ideological and organizational roots in al-Qaeda.—
Joseph Epstein,
Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
In the northeast, insurgent groups exploit institutional weaknesses and economic vulnerability.—
Yusuf Tuggar,
semafor.com,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Bass, politically bruised over her handling of last year’s devastating Palisades fire, now faces an insurgent campaign from one of the City Council’s savviest players.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Recusant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recusant. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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