as in vandals
a person who destroys or damages something deliberately; a person who performs sabotage
The car's tires were slashed by saboteurs.
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Recent Examples of saboteurs
Team players can win more often than saboteurs.
—
Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 7 Mar. 2026
Ukraine has denied involvement in damage to one of the pipelines, but investigators in Germany have said the saboteurs were Ukrainian.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2026
Inviting in such resolute saboteurs, these institutions repel many in their core audience.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
These include restrictions on the Internet and social media and surveillance measures intended to root out spies and saboteurs.
—Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
Fortunately for all the people who want to keep their money and the integrity of their elections safe from cybercriminals and political saboteurs, there’s been a breakthrough.
—New Atlas, 15 Nov. 2025
By hinting that his business was the victim of shape-shifting saboteurs, Westergaard distracted from the more prosaic story about the carelessness of his staff.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
But hidden away in a secret HQ, a group of celebrity saboteurs are watching their every move, carrying out missions designed to disrupt their success.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
Even far from the front line, soldiers tend to dress casually—presumably because of the risk of spies or saboteurs.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2025
Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 7 Mar. 2026
Ukraine has denied involvement in damage to one of the pipelines, but investigators in Germany have said the saboteurs were Ukrainian.
—Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2026
Inviting in such resolute saboteurs, these institutions repel many in their core audience.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
These include restrictions on the Internet and social media and surveillance measures intended to root out spies and saboteurs.
—Mohammad Javad Zarif, Foreign Affairs, 22 Dec. 2025
Fortunately for all the people who want to keep their money and the integrity of their elections safe from cybercriminals and political saboteurs, there’s been a breakthrough.
—New Atlas, 15 Nov. 2025
By hinting that his business was the victim of shape-shifting saboteurs, Westergaard distracted from the more prosaic story about the carelessness of his staff.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
But hidden away in a secret HQ, a group of celebrity saboteurs are watching their every move, carrying out missions designed to disrupt their success.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
Even far from the front line, soldiers tend to dress casually—presumably because of the risk of spies or saboteurs.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for saboteurs
vandals
Noun
-
The masked vandals appeared on campus overnight, using a power tool to cut them down.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The site attracted vandals and groups of as many as 40 loiterers at a time before its parking lot was fenced off.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Saboteurs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saboteurs. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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