Synonyms of revolt

revolt 1 of 2

noun

as in insurrection

open fighting against authority (as one's own government)

soon the revolt had spread to every corner of the country

Synonyms & Similar Words

• insurrection
• uprising
• mutiny
• rebellion
• revolution
• insurgency
• outbreak
• insurgence
• coup
• overthrow
• rising
• treachery
• sedition
• coup d'état
• treason
• sabotage
• subversion
• misprision

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• counterinsurgency
• counterrevolution

revolt

2 of 2

verb

ri-ˈvōlt 

1

as in to disgust

to cause to feel disgust

the jury appeared to be revolted by the grisly details of the murder

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disgust
• repulse
• sicken
• appall
• horrify
• nauseate
• repel
• outrage
• distress
• shock
• put off
• gross out
• displease
• insult
• disquiet
• turn off
• offend
• turn one's stomach
• affront

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• pull
• attract
• charm
• draw
• seduce
• tempt
• disarm
• entice
• lure
• rejoice
• delight
• captivate
• fascinate
• please
• gratify
• allure
• beguile
• entrance
• enchant
• tickle
• appeal (to)
• bewitch
• interest
• intrigue
• enthrall
• enrapture

2

as in to rebel

to rise up against established authority

the students practically revolted when the school cancelled the championship football game

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rebel
• mutiny
• kick over the traces
• resist
• disobey
• fight
• revolutionize
• mock
• oppose
• withstand
• contest
• defy
• combat
• buck

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• follow
• submit
• comply (with)
• serve
• obey
• mind
• attend

Synonym Chooser

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

Recent Examples of revolt

Noun

In 1953, Fidel Castro began his revolt against Fulgencio Batista (fool-HEN’-see-oh bah-TEES’-tah) with an unsuccessful attack on an army barracks in eastern Cuba. — ABC News, 13 July 2026

See The Sight Of John Brown's Raid Near the rivers sits the original armory guard house, where in 1859, abolitionist John Brown led a legendary but ultimately unsuccessful slave revolt. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 11 July 2026

Verb

Because of the enormous scale of content that had to be produced nonstop, lest fans revolt against its scarcity, Destiny was only very rarely profitable during its entire lifespan. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

The country’s first civil war began on the eve of independence and lasted from 1955 until 1972, when the southerners, who were largely Christian or animists, revolted against the repressive and exploitative control of the government in Khartoum. — Janine Di Giovanni, Vanity Fair, 25 June 2026