as in traitors
one who betrays a trust or an allegiance
the plot of the story revolved around the gangster's relentless determination to learn the identity of the turncoat
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Recent Examples of turncoats
President Abraham Lincoln called on state militias at the outset of the Civil War to help in fighting Confederate turncoats to the South.
—
Alana Wise, NPR, 21 Aug. 2025
Alana Wise, NPR, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turncoats
traitors
Noun
-
So many traitors, smooth operators.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The stars play a game in which a group of ‘faithful’ players must detect and eliminate ‘traitors,’ who each evening banish others from the competition.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Turncoats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turncoats. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
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