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

But the rebels earlier acknowledged targeting Saudi airports and oil and military installations in recent days.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
The kingdom launched a major offensive last week to support Yemeni government forces fighting the Houthis, but the rebels have so far held their ground.

— Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of rebels

Noun

They’re seen as oligarchs, as the people with wealth and power, controlling our lives—not as outsider insurgents.

— Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
International sanctions persisted, and PF’s ZANLA and ZIPRA insurgents continued their liberation war.

— Chinatsu Tsuji, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of insurgents

Noun

But unlike other Floridians of Cuban descent — including Secretary of State Marco Rubio — Valdes ended up defending Cuba’s socialist revolutionaries and officials who have killed, jailed, tortured, and censored numerous political enemies.

— Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 9 Oct. 2026
In the Tenth Arrondissement of Paris, near the Canal Saint-Martin, a mural appeared, seemingly overnight, depicting the lycéens as heroic revolutionaries in a style that seemed equal parts Delacroix and Dragon Ball.

— Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of revolutionaries

Noun

The effects of these publications were hardly only theoretical, as Italian anarchists exerted a powerful influence on labor strikes.

— Ed Simon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Oct. 2026
There are groups of radical environmentalists and anarchists who embrace him, and Luigi Mangione gave the Unabomber Manifesto a four-star review on Goodreads.

— Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of anarchists

Noun

Abby became suspicious of Kuehl during a private conversation about possible traitors in the group.

— Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026
Abraham and Szor, both Israeli filmmakers, have been denounced as traitors in Israel, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself has threatened to revoke their citizenship.

— Justin Chang, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of traitors

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

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Synonyms of subversives

noun

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