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 a culture obsessed with more, Dekáf’s restraint reads like subversion.
—
Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
But subversion at the expense of any agency or enjoyment makes for the wrong kind of friction in an experience like this.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
With a verdict still weeks away, the hearing on Friday drew fewer people than rulings and sentencings in recent cases such as the sedition trial against two Stand News journalists or the subversion trial against 47 pro-democracy politicians and activists.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 15 Aug. 2025
Such subversions can be seen as the story pivots from one twist to another and one surprise to the next.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subversion
Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
But subversion at the expense of any agency or enjoyment makes for the wrong kind of friction in an experience like this.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
With a verdict still weeks away, the hearing on Friday drew fewer people than rulings and sentencings in recent cases such as the sedition trial against two Stand News journalists or the subversion trial against 47 pro-democracy politicians and activists.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 15 Aug. 2025
Such subversions can be seen as the story pivots from one twist to another and one surprise to the next.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subversion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subversion
Noun
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The King and his youngest son recently met, and though the meeting was reportedly positive, there have been suggestions of sabotage from Harry’s camp in regards to how some information has leaked.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
3 Oct. 2025
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The more sabotage missions completed undetected, the greater the prize – but if a Celebrity Saboteur is caught, the contestant faces a difficult decision.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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And then after the insurrection, Republicans in Congress came back and still voted not to certify the election.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
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Also in April, a West Virginia man, who had attacked federal law enforcement during the insurrection, was indicted on charges of armed robbery and assault after stabbing the owner of a Mexican restaurant.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Trump and his allies later branded Comey a leaker, with the president even accusing him of treason.—
Eric Tucker,
Twin Cities,
25 Sep. 2025
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Brown was caught after the raid failed and charged with treason.—
Christopher Tremoglie,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The state argued incidents that arose from the ICE facility protests in recent months have been handled by local law enforcement and have not been severe enough to be considered a riot or rebellion.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
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Her choice challenges the rules of her world and sparks a rebellion that paves the way for a new way of life.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Local grievances—such as power outages in Madagascar or rising food prices in Kenya—can quickly escalate into nationwide unrest, amplified by viral hashtags, memes and shared digital culture.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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In other footage of the unrest, two men were seen engaging in a fistfight outside the ICE facility before they were detained.—
Greg Norman , Bill Melugin,
FOXNews.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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And when the surviving crew interrogates the android Ash about his treachery, the book has him pretty much spill the space beans.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
22 Sep. 2025
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When does compromise become treachery or defeat?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subversion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subversion. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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