Synonyms of subversive

subversive 1 of 2

noun

as in rebel

someone who tries to overthrow or undermine a governing power

They were outted as subversives and exiled from the country.

Related Words

• rebel
• insurgent
• revolutionary
• anarchist
• traitor
• radical
• extremist
• renegade
• agitator
• insurrectionist
• anarch
• troublemaker
• revolutionist
• alarmist
• separatist
• crazy
• separationist
• secessionist
• revolter
• defector
• deserter
• conspirator
• collaborator
• intriguer
• Judas
• turncoat
• quisling
• collaborationist
• coconspirator
• plotter
• young Turk
• subverter
• schemer
• apostate
• betrayer
• double-dealer
• snake
• double-crosser
• sellout
• serpent
• backstabber
• recreant
• accommodationist

subversive

2 of 2

adjective

as in violent

seeking to overthrow or undermine a governing power

A subversive organization determined to unseat a leader who they believed operated outside the law.

Related Words

• violent
• revolutionary
• radical
• provocative
• exciting
• inflammatory
• provoking
• incendiary
• wild
• reactionary
• inciting
• rabid
• agitating
• fomenting
• rabble-rousing
• instigating
• extremist
• extreme
• fanatic
• ultra
• revolutionist

Dissimilar Words

• conservative
• moderate
• traditional
• conventional
• progressive
• temperate
• liberal
• orthodox
• middle-of-the-road
• nonrevolutionary
• unrevolutionary

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of subversive

Noun

Kristen Stewart loves to be a little subversive with her fashion choices. — Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 23 June 2026

The seamless integration of old and new feels stealthy, and a touch subversive, a doubling-down on the museum’s approach to time as nonlinear, sinuous and delightfully slippery. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026

Instead, the stylish couple spent the construction years combing through vintage markets, building a concept that’s classic, but singular and a little subversive. — Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2026

On November 25, 1947, a majority of Hollywood top brass met at the Waldorf Astoria in New York and drafted the notorious Waldorf Statement that promised no studio would employ anyone who was a communist or suspected subversive. — Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025

Loners lashing out America has had genuine subversives and left-wing terror networks in the past. — Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025

An obsession with Perfidia Beverly Hills (a magnetic Teyana Taylor), the animating figure behind a militant organization called the French 75 and the most stunning subversive to flaunt an automatic weapon while heavily pregnant. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025

To dissidents, she has been seen as a hero putting her life on the line; to Modi’s supporters, as a dangerous subversive who is anti-national and anti-Hindu. — Anderson Tepper, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2025

André's chaotic talk show, The Eric Andre Show (2012–2023), established the actor and comedian as a true subversive, which makes his turns in projects such as The Lion King (2019) and Trolls Band Together (2023) that much more amusing. — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025

Adjective

His overreaching executive authority and voter suppression attempts amount to subversive governance. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026

There’s something subversive in the way that Carlile turns up the rage quotient onstage at Newport. — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026

The Valen seems tailored to capture some of these customers, bridging the gap between the Valhalla and the Vanquish with a unique, slightly subversive twist on what an Aston Martin can be. — Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2026

The short story’s subversive power is inversely correlated to its popularity, even to its academic credibility. — Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026

The State Department’s 2026 report on Cuba cites the subcommittee’s hearings as its only evidence that the Fair Play for Cuba Committee was subversive. — Aaron Coy Moulton, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026

Paul Verhoeven’s subversive blockbuster shrewdly toys with Quaid’s — and our — sense of reality. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026

When worn with a chic cut-out dress or linen maxi, dad sneakers become deliciously subversive. — Amber Rambharose, InStyle, 29 July 2026

For them, the whole movement is nothing more than a subversive anti-vaccine, anti-science syndicate. — Craig Spencer, The Atlantic, 25 July 2026