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

Part of the outbreak is unfolding in a major city and humanitarian hub, Goma, that rebels backed by neighboring Rwanda seized over a year ago, further complicating the response.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
In Syria, Qatar was a main political sponsor of the opposition to then-President Bashar Assad and led calls to increase the flow of weapons to the Syrian rebels.

— Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026

Definition of rebels

Noun

According to Chaudhry, insurgents have carried out three major attacks across the province since Monday.

— Munir Ahmed, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
The establishment’s theory of the case has always been that popular insurgents are too risky, too unpolished, too outside the lane.

— Tad Devine, Fortune, 7 July 2026

Definition of insurgents

Noun

The monarchy was overthrown in the February Revolution of 1917, and the tsar and his family became prisoners of the revolutionaries.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 July 2026
The original Jacobins were the most radical faction of the French revolutionaries.

— David Brooks, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

Definition of revolutionaries

Noun

In July 1936, anarchists set fire to the church’s crypt and broke into the architect’s workshop before destroying many of his plans and plaster models.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
But divining Gaudí's intentions has required detective work, because during the Spanish Civil War, anarchists protesting the Catholic Church set fire to parts of the structure, and smashed Gaudí's models into 8,000 pieces.

— Seth Doane, CBS News, 7 June 2026

Definition of anarchists

Noun

Those who opposed the coup, like Tom Keith's grandfather, are still often thought of as traitors, just as his distant relatives are.

— Lee Cowan, CBS News, 12 July 2026
Irina and Raskova will enjoy a long, successful professional collaboration, purging Star City of traitors and threats and bringing down Petrovsky in a plot that leads to his ending his life in ignominy, having confessed to crimes against the state.

— Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 10 July 2026

Definition of traitors

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“Subversives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subversives. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of subversives

noun

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