as in sabotage
secret efforts to weaken or ruin a political system or government from within
They were arrested on charges of political subversion.
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Recent Examples of subversion
In Memoriam There’s a hilarious subversion in the 40th anniversary’s In Memoriam section, when Jon Lovitz is listed among the deceased—just before the camera cuts to his very-much-alive reaction.
—
Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 17 Feb. 2025
But your work, particularly Ballad, all feels to be a sharp subversion of how people have historically thought about and approached image making.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 6 June 2025
The piece appeared playful and lightly humorous at first, before revealing a darker and more powerful undercurrent with its sly subversion of colonial-era craft techniques.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 30 May 2025
The latest rejection of post-election subversion—or attempting to flip the result of an election after the fact—came in a ruling last week upholding the results of a North Carolina Supreme Court race.
—Sean Morales-Doyle, Time, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for subversion
Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 17 Feb. 2025
But your work, particularly Ballad, all feels to be a sharp subversion of how people have historically thought about and approached image making.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 6 June 2025
The piece appeared playful and lightly humorous at first, before revealing a darker and more powerful undercurrent with its sly subversion of colonial-era craft techniques.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 30 May 2025
The latest rejection of post-election subversion—or attempting to flip the result of an election after the fact—came in a ruling last week upholding the results of a North Carolina Supreme Court race.
—Sean Morales-Doyle, Time, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for subversion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subversion
Noun
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The acts of sabotage and cyberattacks are mostly aimed at undermining European support for Ukraine, military officers and experts have said.—
Lorne Cook,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2025
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In adulthood, this can show up as emotional unavailability, guilt around choosing a partner or subconscious sabotage of relationships.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
Noun
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All of these acts of insurrection reveal a nation unbowed in the face of violent oppression.—
Nuri Kino,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
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Mass deportations, the politicization of our military and the use of the military as props to create the suggestion of insurrection are classic authoritarian techniques to take over governments.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
18 June 2025
Noun
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Hichilema was accused of treason after his motorcade failed to give way to Lungu’s presidential convoy.—
Jacob Zimba,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
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Notable Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu is set to represent himself in his treason trial after being denied the right to a private meeting with his lawyers.—
Yinka Adegoke,
semafor.com,
18 June 2025
Noun
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The third season opens in the wake of the deadly rebellion depicted in the Season 2 finale, which left Jung-Bae and many of Gi-hun’s allies dead.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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The law allows a president to federalize state National Guard troops under three conditions: in the event of an invasion, a rebellion or threat of rebellion, or when regular federal forces are unable to enforce the law.—
Martha McHardy
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Noun
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The Trump administration has pardoned all Jan. 6 protesters and has taken actions against those who prosecuted them for a variety of allegations connected to the unrest.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
28 June 2025
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With features like blast-resistant walls, ballistic glass and rapid evacuation elevators, Aerie is built to handle everything from civil unrest to the most extreme emergencies.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
27 June 2025
Noun
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The six-parter, to debut July 14, follows six groups of friends, and six historical cases of murder and treachery among them.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
19 June 2025
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But amid the bloodbaths and treacheries, Westeros still penciled in time for a little romance — some more compelling than others (Jon and Ygritte > Jon and Daenerys).—
Tyler Aquilina,
EW.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subversion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subversion. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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