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
During the Cold War, administrations authorized CIA operations against hostile regimes engaged in subversion and criminal conduct.
—
Timothy M. Herbst, Hartford Courant, 13 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for subversion
Timothy M. Herbst, Hartford Courant, 13 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for subversion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subversion
Noun
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Hogan and his men secretly functioned as an espionage and sabotage operation, successfully manipulating the inept Germans over the course of 168 episodes.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
18 Feb. 2026
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Turning the tide at the waterfront arena will not be easy, especially with answers seemingly thin on the ground and Everton so prone to self-sabotage there.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Presiding judge Ji Gwi-yeon ruled Yoon’s deployment of troops to parliament and attempt to arrest political opponents, including current President Lee Jae Myung, who was then head of the opposition, were acts of insurrection.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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Ji said declaring martial law can constitute insurrection if intended to obstruct or paralyze constitutional institutions.—
Hakyung Kate Lee,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), investigators have opened more than 3,800 treason investigations since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, with more than 1,200 individuals already found guilty and sentenced.—
Daria Tarasova-Markina,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Her testimony also alleges that prosecutors blocked her from testifying in civilian court and that she was transferred to military jurisdiction, accused of crimes including treason, rebellion and terrorism.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And last week, former interior minister Lee Sang-min was sentenced to seven years in prison for participating in a rebellion.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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South Korea’s Justice Ministry bans Yoon from traveling overseas as police, prosecutors and an anti-corruption agency expand competing investigations into allegations of rebellion and other charges.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Iran used overwhelming force against the protesters to clear people out of the streets, but also to buy the government time by preventing any future waves of unrest, said Alex Vatanka, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, a Washington think tank.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Feb. 2026
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Officials in law enforcement have said the number of police applicants looking to join a police force never quite rebounded since unrest around the nation led to protests and demonstrations in the wake of George Floyd’s death in 2020.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Perfidy — from the French perfidie via the Latin perfidia — means deceitfulness, treachery or a breach of faith or promise.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
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But despite all this, not every Chelsea fan outside his family will regard this transfer as treachery.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subversion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subversion. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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