saboteur

Definition of saboteurnext
as in destroyer
a person who destroys or damages something deliberately; a person who performs sabotage The car's tires were slashed by saboteurs.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 saboteur In 1916, German saboteurs blew up a munitions plant on Black Tom, an island near Jersey City, New Jersey, killing about a dozen people. — ABC News, 13 July 2026 Keep your paltry pocket lighters sheathed, would-be saboteurs. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 21 Apr. 2026 That is why ageism is a silent saboteur in our organizations. — Dan Pontefract, Forbes.com, 1 Apr. 2026 Sharaa, who has signed a five-year transitional document that serves as a de facto constitution, seems aware of the risks and has thus far been able to outflank his potential rivals and saboteurs, keeping his country out of the ongoing regional war. — Alvaro Vargas Llosa, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for saboteur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for saboteur
Noun
  • The missile launch followed a North Korean media report that leader Kim Jong Un visited a naval shipyard building a destroyer and stressed the importance of a powerful naval force.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Each ship will use four LM2500 gas turbines, giving GE another production order for an engine that has powered every active Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Photos taken by local media show that vandals smashed the hotel’s glass doors and painted graffiti on windows.
    — Soph Warnes, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Trump blamed vandals for the issues, but federal prosecutors in Washington attributed the problems to shoddy workmanship.
    — Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • That’s the going rate for a game wrecker on defense who isn’t a rental and is signed to a long-term contract.
    — Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Stewart is a potential NFL game-wrecker who has the athleticism and power to line up pretty much anywhere in the box.
    — Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • On the other, evidence suggests this pair of habitual time-wasters were commonly found on the floor, running laughter through a Yamaha SPX90 effects processor for kicks and strumming the same note for 40-odd minutes.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The form asks for the date and time of the watering, along with the waster’s address.
    — Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 29 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Saboteur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saboteur. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster