revolt 1 of 2

Definition of revoltnext
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
When did the-- when did the uprisings, when did the revolt in the street happen in Iran? CBS News, 10 May 2026 Reporters soon descended, leading to subsequent lore of a sort of revolt, with students, particularly varsity athletes, chasing reporters away, even — as legend has it — locking some in the music room. Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2026
Verb
Democrats were unhappy, worried that residents in deep blue jurisdictions might revolt if they were forced to bear the full brunt of the heavy state and local tax burden. Editorial, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026 And the mayor is embroiled in a power struggle over leadership of the Chicago Housing Authority, where board members openly revolted against him by installing a CEO of their choosing, Keith Pettigrew, in a process Johnson says violated state law. Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for revolt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for revolt
Noun
  • His stand against the insurrection offended the Nebraska Republican Committee.
    Scott Pelley, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2026
  • In England chaos reaches its zenith when a Kentishman named Jack Cade, encouraged by York (who has been sent to put down a revolt in Ireland), mounts an insurrection that plays havoc in the streets of London.
    Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Even the consciousness on the back of her head is disgusted with her, but hey, Ashley has always been her own worst critic.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 13 May 2026
  • The researchers also found that being young, female, and well educated increased the odds that someone would be moist averse, as did being disgusted more generally by bodily functions.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Embracing a visual vocabulary of the lowbrow and the rudimentary is a tried-and-true method of rebelling against a culture that feels vapid or corporatized.
    Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 6 May 2026
  • As a young woman, my mother rebelled against this laborious femininity, mostly wearing jeans and loose men’s shirts.
    Benny Peterson, Vogue, 4 May 2026
Noun
  • In January, 2019, amid the popular uprising that would ultimately dissolve Bashir’s government, Ibrahim’s employer assisted the family in obtaining visas and plane tickets to Jordan.
    Annie Hylton, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
  • Cody Bellinger then grounded into a forceout that produced a run, Amed Rosario got an RBI on an infield hit and Grisham capped the uprising with his sixth home run.
    ABC News, ABC News, 12 May 2026
Verb
  • Anyone who has worked in or observed the media industry for the last couple of decades will recognize and be repulsed by nepo-baby Jay, who is undeniably villainous.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Floyd, distraught by his own physical failures, is nevertheless repulsed by the sight of Carol in her big, burly ump gear.
    Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The only real threat to Putin’s authority came a year into the war, when Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the founder of Wagner, a Russian paramilitary organization, launched a mutiny directed against Russia’s military leadership.
    Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
  • That’s when three-term incumbent Richard Woods will face four Republican challengers and a mutiny among GOP lawmakers, giving him what could be the toughest election he’s ever faced.
    Patricia Murphy, AJC.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Now, bird-watching may be at the epicenter of the outbreak on board the MV Hondius, in which three people have died and five others were sickened.
    Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 10 May 2026
  • In March, the Star Princess faced an outbreak that sickened more than 104 guests and 49 crew members.
    Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 9 May 2026
Noun
  • The rebellion stems from Labor’s heavy losses in local elections last week and widespread party frustration over Starmer’s leadership, stagnant economic growth and failure to deliver on campaign promises.
    Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
  • On the internet, masculinism is presented as a rebellion—a transgressive middle finger to the liberal establishment, expressed in all the words a corporate HR department would order you not to say.
    Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Revolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/revolt. Accessed 16 May. 2026.

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