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 Subversion of the Source Material One of the biggest issues in Hollywood, especially over the last decade, is subversion of the source material. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 July 2026 And because of that canon, Tapert and Raimi are there to ensure that any subversions don’t go too far astray. — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 Bright says this reimagining and subversion of expectations fits neatly with her team’s vision. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 June 2026 In my fiction, my grandfather was no longer an inscrutable ghost, but a character with definable flaws, who did things in an order that, despite whatever twists and subversions, resolved into meaning. — Literary Hub, 10 June 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
  • Since taking office, Curtis has alleged election irregularities, accused county employees of sabotage and repeatedly clashed with county leadership.
    — Drew Askeland, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Directed by Takahiro Hasui, the latest installment in the franchise tracks Conan Edogawa investigating high-speed vehicular sabotage on an expressway network.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of sabotage
Noun
  • As Port falls in with a group of conspirators preparing for the insurrection, the book takes on a hallucinatory, digressive quality, blurring the lines between life and death, reality and illusion.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Stephen Colbert’s award-winning Late Show was canceled in a move that many have labeled political appeasement, and the flagship evening newscast baselessly recast the January 6 insurrection as a partisan squabble.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of insurrection
Noun
  • Turn on any cable news network, and the national political landscape can look like a toxic wasteland, defined by vitriol, outrage, even allegations of treason.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The messenger, French emigré Charles Darnay (Civil) is arrested for treason.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of treason
Noun
  • The second book, Shift, consists of alternating flashback sequences, telling both the origin story of the silos and tales from past rebellions.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
  • After a prolonged siege and fighting, the British recaptured Delhi and brutally suppressed the rebellion.
    — Aishwarya Lakshmi, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • Denis, who goes by Jan Mapou after his store, Libreri Mapou, has long been a fixture in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood, a refuge since the 1970s for Haitians fleeing dictators and political unrest.
    — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Columbia, which doesn’t have its own police force, handled the unrest by shutting, reopening, and resealing its borders, confusing even itself.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of unrest
Noun
  • For his treachery in conspiring with Gwayne, Daemon claims Corlys as his own prisoner.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • 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
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 25 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of subversion for Spanish Speakers

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