Thesaurus results for SUBVERSIVES

subversives

noun

plural of subversive

as in rebels

someone who tries to overthrow or undermine a governing power They were outted as subversives and exiled from the country.

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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for subversives

Noun

Saudi diplomats had notified US lawmakers in August of a breakdown in political channels with the Houthis and the rebels’ plans to escalate against the kingdom, and sought Washington’s backing to push back, the source said.

— Becky Anderson, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2026
Government forces have reclaimed territory from the Houthis in the provinces of Hodeida and Taiz, and attacked the rebels in the northern province of Jawf as well as the central provinces of Marib and Bayda.

— Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of rebels

Noun

Hundreds joined the insurgents that day, and their numbers soon swelled into the thousands.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
Many of the 9/11 hijackers, for instance, initially went to Afghanistan with the intention to acquire skills and connections before traveling onward to Chechnya to fight alongside Chechen insurgents against Russian security forces.

— Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of insurgents

Noun

The new Congress, established on the revolutionaries’ battle cry of no taxation without representation, also needed to pay the bills.

— Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
The new Congress, established on the revolutionaries' battle cry of no taxation without representation, also needed to pay the bills.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of revolutionaries

Noun

Something common to the plans and schemes of crypto-anarchists is a certain Rube Goldberg fussiness.

— Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Indeed, antisemitisms prove that a society can hold contradictory images simultaneously, such as the fact that the Jews are both anarchists out to destroy capitalism as well as capitalists out to exploit the working class.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026

Definition of anarchists

Noun

The team was criticized in Iran and branded as traitors in the media there for remaining silent when the Iranian national anthem was played ahead of their opening loss against South Korea on March 2.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026
Ortiz vowed to interrogate and, if necessary, kill any traitors who thwarted him and Simon.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of traitors

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subversives

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“Subversives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subversives. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of subversives

noun

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