revolt 1 of 2

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

revolt

2 of 2

verb

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

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
The revolt was violently suppressed, with hundreds of thousands killed and most of the surviving Jewish population expelled from Judea, which Hadrian renamed Syria Palestina. Franz Lidz, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025 Ars Video Microsoft is hoping that the concessions requiring opt-in and the ability to pause Recall will help quell the collective revolt that broke out last year. Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Apr. 2025
Verb
The leading role played in the war by the Vietnamese rural poor prompted Scott to wonder what motivated peasants to revolt. Nikil Saval, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025 Instead, the studio said nothing, and purists began to revolt. Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for revolt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for revolt
Noun
  • Foreign funders of an insurrection interfered in our domestic affairs from the start.
    Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 19 Apr. 2025
  • The charge of masterminding insurrection faced by the impeached leader is punishable by life imprisonment or even death, although South Korea has not executed anyone in decades.
    Joyce Lee, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • She was disgusted by the liberties these people took, and much annoyed with her old husband.
    Charles Portis, Harper's Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025
  • All of them disgust me to be quite honest with you. KARL: All right.
    ABC News, ABC News, 13 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • As few as four lawmakers rebelling in the House or Senate could derail the final package, as no Democrats are expected to support the legislation.
    Riley Beggin, USA Today, 10 May 2025
  • Medicaid benefits: Moderates are rebelling against per-capita spending caps, as well as shifting some of the cost burden to the states.
    Hans Nichols, Axios, 7 May 2025
Noun
  • The nation has fixed its eye on the protests: the film’s opening sequence shows denunciations of the uprisings from both conservative and liberal news media.
    Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 17 May 2025
  • The uprising has set the country on a new path, with an interim government, led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, preparing to hold elections by early next year.
    Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • That passage is a bit funny and also quite beautiful; there’s a sense of Europe and America reaching out to each other or repulsing each other.
    The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Still, assuming that Harvard goes ahead with a legal battle to repulse the Administration’s assault, its actions could have important ramifications not just for other universities but also for broader efforts to resist Trump’s encroachments.
    John Cassidy, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • There were some other problems early on as well, but what a difference a mutiny makes.
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 15 May 2025
  • This led to a mutiny among the sailors and the enslaved people — after which around 650 people remained.
    Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
Verb
  • Banned in Europe In addition to being a carcinogen, formaldehyde, a colorless and smelly gas, can cause rashes and can sicken those who breathe it in, according to the FDA.
    Ronnie Cohen, NPR, 8 May 2025
  • New outbreaks of gastrointestinal illnesses on cruise ships have sickened about 150 people, adding to the growing toll of such cases in 2025 ahead of peak cruise season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • After leading some of his fellow players in an uprising against the games, Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) sees his rebellion instantly squashed.
    Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 10 May 2025
  • Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who is waiting for the weekend to join the rebellion.
    Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Revolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/revolt. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

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