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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 One was Humberto Villalobos, an authority on the regime’s subversion of electoral systems who had been tasked with figuring out how to expose Maduro’s tactics. — Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for subversion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subversion
  1. sabotage
  2. insurrection
  3. treason
  4. rebellion
  5. unrest
Noun
  • Moscow’s drip-drip escalation has been palpable for years now, as sabotage incidents become more frequent, and recklessness in the form of stray drones or ballistic missiles cross into and test NATO’s outer defenses.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Poland is boosting border security and warning of unprecedented sabotage and hybrid warfare inside Europe as intelligence points to Moscow targeting frontier crossings to sap support for Ukraine.
    — Claudia Ciobanu, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of sabotage
Noun
  • Amendment is also a constitution’s mechanism for the prevention of insurrection.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of insurrection
Noun
  • But the hostility toward Jews was evident during the Dreyfus affair, which saw Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish captain in the French army, wrongly convicted of treason in 1894.
    — Barbara Spindel, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Sep. 2026
  • In Russian law, treason is understood as a form of espionage—compromising or working against the Russian state to benefit a foreign power.
    — Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of treason
Noun
  • The Uprising’s final act does get unwieldy, as the director tries to show just how the rebellion was betrayed.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Exactly what Hidalgo said has been lost to history, but his message was strong enough to ignite a rebellion.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • The setting is contemporary Paris in crisis, when civil unrest, rather amorphously presented apart from increasing numbers of military on the streets, makes evening strolls potentially problematic.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
  • This month, the State Department updated its travel advisory for Peru, warning Americans about crime, civil unrest, kidnapping and terrorism.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of unrest

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 15 Sep. 2026.

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