as in deserter
a person who abandons a cause or organization usually without right
a band of renegades who had deserted their infantry units and were making their way to Mexico
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in apostate
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of renegade
Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Not all marketing The renegade spirit isn't all clever marketing.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 1 Apr. 2026
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
The city’s battles with renegade first-time Councilmember Tony Blain, a tree removal project planned for public safety, the opening of the West Village Poway Apartments and new e-bike regulations were among the big stories in Poway this year.
—Susan Gill Vardon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for renegade
Noun
In an op-ed for Nikkei, a former lawmaker and one-time spokesperson for the previous Taiwanese president warned that the island — which China claims as a renegade province — was not doing enough to strengthen its energy independence and defense capabilities in the face of mainland pressure.
—Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 6 Apr. 2026
Not all marketing The renegade spirit isn't all clever marketing.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
The renegade baseball general manager in Moneyball, for instance, was later played by Brad Pitt, while the characters in The Big Short were portrayed by Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, and Pitt again, among others.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
The city’s battles with renegade first-time Councilmember Tony Blain, a tree removal project planned for public safety, the opening of the West Village Poway Apartments and new e-bike regulations were among the big stories in Poway this year.
—Susan Gill Vardon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for renegade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for renegade
Noun
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And within his own country’s history, particularly, Dhont discovered the fates that met would-be deserters who were caught — brutal sentences often leading to death.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
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The love story of a Confederate deserter (Jude Law) journeying back to his North Carolina home and his love (Nicole Kidman) drives the Civil War drama.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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As a result, he was tried in absentia, declared a traitor and subjected to the state’s harshest penalties.—
Kimberly Nath,
The Conversation,
7 May 2026
-
Linking their destinities is a man—presumably the traitor’s son of the title—with the extra wrinkle that Elegy is fated to fall in love with him.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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And, increasingly, buzzy breakout nontraditional voices — like Scott Jennings — can be as valuable (and expensive) as seasoned reporters.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
-
Noel Almario, family health care consultant Almario describes herself as a nontraditional political candidate with a background as a birth doula who works as a private consultant helping families navigate the healthcare system.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Noun
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In March, Washington sanctioned Rwanda’s defense forces and several senior officials, accusing them of funding the M23 rebels who have taken over mineral-rich areas of eastern DR Congo.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
15 May 2026
-
Chance understands why some kids rebel.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Many advanced states understand the need for some kind of violent reaction to terrorists or insurgents, usually as a task for special-operations forces.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
-
Both political insurgents were elected under extraordinary circumstances.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Noun
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The officials said Russia’s security services are now more brazen in their choice of targets, going after Russian activists and foreign supporters of Ukraine, in addition to the usual suspects like military defectors.—
Emma Burrows,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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There were a couple of unexpected Senate Republican defectors, people like Todd Young and Josh Holly, who voted to advance a resolution, one of these War Powers Resolutions to halt hostilities in Venezuela.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Renegade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/renegade. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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