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
Making space for subversion and resistance is at the core of what this band is about.
—
Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Sabotage is the deliberate subversion of a nation’s resources.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
No, this is the subversion of the ability to pay attention on a species-wide level.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
The legal penalties for people abroad echo the clause in the National Security Law which China imposed on Hong Kong in 2020, which states that authorities can prosecute people based outside China over actions that Beijing perceives as secession or subversion.
—ABC News, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subversion
Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
Sabotage is the deliberate subversion of a nation’s resources.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 4 Apr. 2026
No, this is the subversion of the ability to pay attention on a species-wide level.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
The legal penalties for people abroad echo the clause in the National Security Law which China imposed on Hong Kong in 2020, which states that authorities can prosecute people based outside China over actions that Beijing perceives as secession or subversion.
—ABC News, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for subversion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subversion
Noun
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The teenager has been charged with sabotage, a crime punishable with a minimum seven-year sentence and has been denied a habeas corpus petition.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
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With their successful sabotage, there would likely be more security in the future, meaning a future attempt would be far more difficult.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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His stand against the insurrection offended the Nebraska Republican Committee.—
Scott Pelley,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
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In England chaos reaches its zenith when a Kentishman named Jack Cade, encouraged by York (who has been sent to put down a revolt in Ireland), mounts an insurrection that plays havoc in the streets of London.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Under existing law, lawmakers can lose their pensions if convicted of a federal crime that relates to public corruption, espionage, treason or several other national security offenses.—
Anna Liss-Roy The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
27 Apr. 2026
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He is later suspected of treason when a petition alleges that he had been declared the rightful king by his armorer.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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What was expected to be a quick vote turned into an hourslong saga as some House Republicans launched a rebellion over an issue with an unrelated farm bill.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
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The leader of the rebellion chatted with young kids carrying Princess Leia dolls and wearing Boba Fett masks.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That is, up until the 1911 census, after which unrest put the practice on pause.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
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Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Inflamed by Ratansen’s adviser’s account of Padmavati’s beauty, Alauddin Khalji storms the fortress by treachery rather than valor.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
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But Bateman's treachery also had a distinctly silly side.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subversion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subversion. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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