subversion

noun

Definition of subversionnext
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of subversion Leaflets, filled with anti-government propaganda, soon emerged as the group’s newest, and boldest, tactic at subversion. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026 There’s also been a little bit of leaning into it on some ends in entertainment, and an inversion or subversion of it in other ends. — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 15 May 2026 How would the subversion of November’s election take place? — Mark Barabak, Mercury News, 1 May 2026 Those who’ve been targeted and their allies view the practice as both a pressure tactic in which reputational sabotage is weaponized, as well as a subversion of the legal process itself. — Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for subversion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subversion
  1. sabotage
  2. insurrection
  3. treason
  4. rebellion
  5. unrest
  6. treachery
Noun
  • Disruptions here can ripple across NATO countries, exposing everything from sabotage of supply chains to energy security.
    — Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 6 July 2026
  • The Ukrainian military said Saturday that small groups of Russian soldiers had infiltrated the town, but counter-sabotage operations were ongoing.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 5 July 2026
Definition of sabotage
Noun
  • The pair took a big swing in 2022 around the first anniversary of the Capitol insurrection on January 6.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026
  • The violence, described as a failed insurrection by President Cyril Ramaphosa, vandalized more than 160 shopping malls, led to tens of thousands of job losses, and cost the economy roughly $3 billion.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of insurrection
Noun
  • What constitutes treason is emerging as an early theme of House of the Dragon’s third season.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026
  • His attorney, Erias Lukwago, was taken from his house and later charged with an offense related to the concealment of treason.
    — Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
Definition of treason
Noun
  • Mali has previously faced insurgencies by militants affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the country’s north.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
  • Shakespeare’s description now appears more significant and also helps explain why the Bard’s production of Richard II in February 1601 coincided with the start of the Earl of Essex’s rebellion.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • Xenophobic unrest in South Africa has become a painful cost of doing business, executives warned, signalling that companies are bracing for prolonged instability in a country eager to draw fresh investment.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 10 July 2026
  • As the train pulls into Srinagar, Kashmir’s capital and a hotbed of the 2019 unrest, Abdul Rasheed Mir is waiting for a local train to his hometown of Qazigund.
    — Aakash Hassan, Christian Science Monitor, 8 July 2026
Definition of unrest
Noun
  • Guides spoke of the monthlong siege that ended only because of the treachery of a local noble who turned on the sultan and allowed British troops to scale the walls.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
  • This is not treachery but the truest and noblest affection.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of treachery

Browse Nearby Words

subventions
subversion
subversions
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Cite this Entry

“Subversion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subversion. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of subversion for Spanish Speakers

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