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
The charge stemmed from an incident in February 2023 when Floyd allegedly assaulted two FBI agents sent on behalf of then-special counsel Jack Smith to serve him with a subpoena related to Smith's federal election subversion probe, according to court records.
—
Olivia Rubin, ABC News, 7 Jan. 2026
Whether a vessel for material connection, social subversion, or communal gathering, for Togar, sound has a distinct presence that requires an act of embodiment to be perceived.
—Hung Duong, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
That feels like the big subversion — Silicon Valley would say innovation — with AI.
—Julian Sancton, HollywoodReporter, 22 Dec. 2025
Clown in a Cornfield may lean into its YA novel background; by the end, even the trite love triangle gets a welcome subversion.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subversion
Olivia Rubin, ABC News, 7 Jan. 2026
Whether a vessel for material connection, social subversion, or communal gathering, for Togar, sound has a distinct presence that requires an act of embodiment to be perceived.
—Hung Duong, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
That feels like the big subversion — Silicon Valley would say innovation — with AI.
—Julian Sancton, HollywoodReporter, 22 Dec. 2025
Clown in a Cornfield may lean into its YA novel background; by the end, even the trite love triangle gets a welcome subversion.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subversion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subversion
Noun
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The team first identified plausible sabotage scenarios and then assessed how likely and damaging those actions could be.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Jan. 2026
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To choose courage without self-sabotage, and passion without violence.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Yoon is on trial for insurrection over his brief declaration of martial law in 2024, as well as a number of other allegations.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
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But the insurrection never ended.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The president’s team moved quickly to prosecute the sheriff for treason.—
Michael Scherer,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
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Veteran opposition figure Kizza Besigye, a four-time presidential candidate, remains in prison after he was charged with treason last February.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Cho's team has demanded the death sentence for Yoon by viewing his martial law imposition as a rebellion.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
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The Gettysburg campaign was, in other words, a strategic offensive meant to advance the overall goals of the rebellion if not win the conflict altogether.—
Jamelle Bouie,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The sweeps, in addition to crowd-management responsibilities, are typically dealt with by local police, who often have more experience and training in de-escalating large demonstrations and tamping down civil unrest.—
Anna Schecter,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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But two shootings of US citizens and scenes of unrest in Minnesota are blotting out any hope of that.—
Shelby Talcott,
semafor.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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With season 4 rapidly approaching, now's the time to prepare for the treachery to come.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Dec. 2025
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Instead of being killed, Ashur takes Spartacus’ life and is consequently rewarded for his treachery by the Roman Empire.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
1 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subversion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subversion. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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