REVOLT Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'revolt' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of revolt are insurrection , mutiny , rebellion , revolution , and uprising . While all these words mean "an outbreak against authority," revolt and insurrection imply an armed uprising that quickly fails or succeeds. // a revolt by the Young Turks that surprised party leaders // an insurrection of oppressed laborers

Q: When is it sensible to use 'mutiny' instead of 'revolt'?

The meanings of mutiny and revolt largely overlap; however, mutiny applies to group insubordination or insurrection especially against naval authority. // a mutiny led by the ship's cook

Q: When could 'rebellion' be used to replace 'revolt'?

While in some cases nearly identical to revolt , rebellion implies an open formidable resistance that is often unsuccessful. // open rebellion against the officers

Q: When can 'revolution' be used instead of 'revolt'?

Although the words revolution and revolt have much in common, revolution applies to a successful rebellion resulting in a major change (as in government). // a political revolution that toppled the monarchy

Q: When might 'uprising' be a better fit than 'revolt'?

The synonyms uprising and revolt are sometimes interchangeable, but uprising implies a brief, limited, and often immediately ineffective rebellion. // quickly put down the uprising

revolt 1 of 2

noun

Definition of revolt

as in insurrection

open fighting against authority (as one's own government) soon the revolt had spread to every corner of the country

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revolt

2 of 2

verb

ri-ˈvōlt

as in to disgust

to cause to feel disgust the jury appeared to be revolted by the grisly details of the murder

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to rebel

to rise up against established authority the students practically revolted when the school cancelled the championship football game

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How does the noun revolt differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of revolt are insurrection, mutiny, rebellion, revolution, and uprising. While all these words mean "an outbreak against authority," revolt and insurrection imply an armed uprising that quickly fails or succeeds.

a revolt by the Young Turks that surprised party leaders

an insurrection of oppressed laborers

When is it sensible to use mutiny instead of revolt?

The meanings of mutiny and revolt largely overlap; however, mutiny applies to group insubordination or insurrection especially against naval authority.

a mutiny led by the ship's cook

When could rebellion be used to replace revolt?

While in some cases nearly identical to revolt, rebellion implies an open formidable resistance that is often unsuccessful.

open rebellion against the officers

When can revolution be used instead of revolt?

Although the words revolution and revolt have much in common, revolution applies to a successful rebellion resulting in a major change (as in government).

a political revolution that toppled the monarchy

When might uprising be a better fit than revolt?

The synonyms uprising and revolt are sometimes interchangeable, but uprising implies a brief, limited, and often immediately ineffective rebellion.

quickly put down the uprising

Example Sentences

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 revolt

Noun

His teeth desert his mouth; his digestion revolts; his heart appears frequently to announce its forthcoming resignation. — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026 Voice had been exercised repeatedly at annual general meetings, say-on-pay revolts had forced concessions and proxy advisors had opposed management with escalating frequency. — Albana Vrioni, Forbes.com, 28 Sep. 2026

Verb

Connecting suffrage to the early civil rights movement, Dowd Hall demonstrates how a sizable network of churchgoing white women revolted against the white patriarchy and helped put an end to lynching in the South. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026 As yields surged over the summer, he was unfazed, saying there was still no sign that the bond vigilantes were revolting. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for revolt

Recent Examples of Synonyms for revolt

Noun

How is the Schaumburg Democrat grappling with that fateful outcome, while preparing to depart Congress after 10 tumultuous years, which included a pandemic, an insurrection and impeachment proceedings?

— Marni Pyke, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026
The film argues that those foundational principles — along with the amendment’s prohibition against those who engage in insurrection serving as heads of state — have come under unprecedented pressure in recent years.

— Clayton Davis, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of insurrection

Noun

Gavras’s previous film, the magnificent Athena, was an action epic and family tragedy about an uprising at a French housing project.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
But Qaddafi’s military forces were decisively defeated by Western airpower and his objective of crushing a popular uprising by force was rendered impossible.

— Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of uprising

Noun

Its leader, Sergei Mironov, 73, once gained headlines by posing with a symbol of brutality — a sledgehammer given to him by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the late Wagner mercenary leader shortly before his failed 2023 mutiny.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
Step aboard the Grampus, a whaleship gone adrift after a storm, rations running out and a violent mutiny, and learn what happened to its ghost whalers.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of mutiny

Verb

Last week, ProPublica detailed the case of two girls severely sickened last year after consuming raw goat milk from an unregulated farm in southern California.

— Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 8 Oct. 2026
Outbreaks this year in Louisiana and last year in Florida sickened multiple children, including at least one who developed the same life-changing kidney condition as Brooklyn.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of sicken

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“Revolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/revolt. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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