as in rebel
someone who tries to overthrow or undermine a governing power
They were outted as subversives and exiled from the country.
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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.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of subversive
Essence, 4 Sep. 2025
Prada under Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons is a perfect example — their partnership continues to feel both consistent and surprising, evolving the brand’s intellectual edge and subversive minimalism season after season.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
The Blazer For a subversive twist on office wear, with a hint of 90s attitude, try adding a leather blazer to your roster this fall.
—Christina Holevas, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2025
Which isn’t to say that this is a subversive rewrite of the text.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
That film’s success, combined with his subversive music videos on MTV, helped make Eminem a household name.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
Religious scholars and political leaders across Asia and Europe viewed them as places for subversive activities and idle chatter.
—Ali Halit Diker, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
Gender-subversive wink, gender-subversive wink.
—Sloane Crosley, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Perhaps this subversive interpretation is wish fulfillment on my part.
—Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Liu’s work often merges corsetry, delicate smocking, and floral motifs with a romantic yet subversive edge.
—Essence, 4 Sep. 2025
Prada under Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons is a perfect example — their partnership continues to feel both consistent and surprising, evolving the brand’s intellectual edge and subversive minimalism season after season.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
The Blazer For a subversive twist on office wear, with a hint of 90s attitude, try adding a leather blazer to your roster this fall.
—Christina Holevas, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2025
Which isn’t to say that this is a subversive rewrite of the text.
—Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2025
That film’s success, combined with his subversive music videos on MTV, helped make Eminem a household name.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
Religious scholars and political leaders across Asia and Europe viewed them as places for subversive activities and idle chatter.
—Ali Halit Diker, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2025
Gender-subversive wink, gender-subversive wink.
—Sloane Crosley, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Perhaps this subversive interpretation is wish fulfillment on my part.
—Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subversive
Noun
-
The New York Times in 2015 reported that hundreds of Colombian mercenaries had been sent to Yemen to fight against the Houthi rebels, hired directly — and in secret — by the UAE.—
Rebecca Johns,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Tapping into your inner rebel as of late, Sagittarius?—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Researchers measured violent and property crime data from 2023, fatal car accidents, drug overdose deaths and excessive drinking rates.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Alderman Raymond Lopez, a Democrat from Chicago’s 15th Ward, wants Trump to send the National Guard to his city because of the violent crime to which people in his city are subjected.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This might enable a mission which, for example, a Viper is located covertly next to a safe house known to be used by insurgents.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
As the occupation wore on, the Iraqis became proficient at building roadside bombs in basements, garages, and other insurgent test kitchens spread across Baghdad and Anbar.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
That’s not exactly a revolutionary change to an offense.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Less than two years ago, the idea of an NFL game being aired exclusively on a streaming system was revolutionary.—
Chris Morris,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Throughout the late nineteenth century and much of the twentieth, Jewish socialists, liberals, anarchists, and Zionists all saw their respective political programs as offering a remedy for anti-Semitism.—
Daniel May,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
-
There’s a character who is an anarchist, and anarchism becomes a thread through the whole book.—
Michael Schaub,
Oc Register,
11 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subversive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subversive. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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