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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Recent Examples of subversive
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
Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Fela was constantly sparring with the authorities, through open-air sessions of searing commentary at his clubhouse, subversive lyrics and confrontation with officers.
—ABC News, 31 May 2026
But under the surface, the real story of this season has been much more subversive.
—Jon MacKenzie, New York Times, 27 May 2026
But there’s nothing shocking or subversive about this movie, which plays like proficient, forgettable straight-to-streaming fare for the first ninety minutes and then botches its big, bloody finale.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 May 2026
Malek, with an insular and crestfallen moodiness, plays Jimmy as a man caught between liberation and AIDS, between wanting to be a breakout performer and waiting to stay true to his subversive drag soul.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 May 2026
The project is a reimagining of the subversive 1963 Joseph Losey classic with a screenplay by Harold Pinter.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 15 May 2026
Meanwhile, Vladimir is a slyly subversive 2022 novel about academia in which a once beautiful English professor, referred to only as M, has begun to feel the effects of aging in her late fifties, while her husband is just reaching his prime.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
At the same time, California law enforcement agencies should assist in identifying and capturing criminal and subversive immigrants and turning them over to federal agents for deportation.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Noun
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
Going avant-garde with a subversive basic top for one of your first tunnel walks has to go down in WNBA history.
—Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Fela was constantly sparring with the authorities, through open-air sessions of searing commentary at his clubhouse, subversive lyrics and confrontation with officers.
—ABC News, 31 May 2026
But under the surface, the real story of this season has been much more subversive.
—Jon MacKenzie, New York Times, 27 May 2026
But there’s nothing shocking or subversive about this movie, which plays like proficient, forgettable straight-to-streaming fare for the first ninety minutes and then botches its big, bloody finale.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 27 May 2026
Malek, with an insular and crestfallen moodiness, plays Jimmy as a man caught between liberation and AIDS, between wanting to be a breakout performer and waiting to stay true to his subversive drag soul.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 20 May 2026
The project is a reimagining of the subversive 1963 Joseph Losey classic with a screenplay by Harold Pinter.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 15 May 2026
Meanwhile, Vladimir is a slyly subversive 2022 novel about academia in which a once beautiful English professor, referred to only as M, has begun to feel the effects of aging in her late fifties, while her husband is just reaching his prime.
—Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
At the same time, California law enforcement agencies should assist in identifying and capturing criminal and subversive immigrants and turning them over to federal agents for deportation.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subversive
Noun
-
Accompanying the violence, both the Naxals and the security forces – including local militia raised to combat the rebels – have been accused of horrific human rights abuses, including abductions, torture and rape.—
Dhruv Tikekar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
The rebels have reported two cases.—
Jean-Yves Kamale,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
His predecessor, Hailemariam Desalegn, had overseen strong economic growth during his nearly six-year rule but continued a historical pattern of using violent crackdowns to crush dissent.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
-
That was in March of 2011, when pro-democracy protests against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad led to a violent government crackdown and civil war.—
Jon LaPook,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
In recent weeks, the race for Los Angeles mayor has been dominated by reality star Spencer Pratt, who, following an expectation-exceeding debate performance, has risen in the polls with an insurgent campaign specializing in producing or promoting brash and direct online videos.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
2 June 2026
-
Traders on prediction market platform Kalshi think the incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and insurgent former reality TV star Spencer Pratt are most likely to advance to the second round.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Okay, that is no revolutionary rule.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 May 2026
-
The dot-com era, for all its speculative madness, at least built a functional, revolutionary Internet infrastructure that permanently transformed global commerce once the markets reset.—
Sunil Sharan,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
At the same time, Pratchett was not an anarchist—Vimes is a policeman, which is depicted as a heroic profession—or an identitarian.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
24 May 2026
-
These forces would collide on the Near West Side on a spring evening, against the backdrop of labor unrest, union activity and a hint of influence from a sinister anarchist movement.—
Michael Peregrine,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subversive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subversive. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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