1
as in deserter
a person who abandons a cause or organization usually without right
an apostate from communism, he later became one of its harshest critics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in traitor
one who betrays a trust or an allegiance
became an apostate to liberalism after he had gotten wealthy
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in renegade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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 apostate
Bernard Haykel, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2024
If the conflict in Syria is a religious war against apostates rather than a geopolitical scuffle, more militants will be drawn toward the conflict and away from the crown.
—Andrew L. Peek, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2016
Liz Cheney, the former Republican congresswoman from Wyoming and an ardent conservative, is an apostate for modern times.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 10 Dec. 2023
The latter — driven by an apocalyptic, millenarian creed — had embarked on a frenzy of killing, torture, grisly execution and abductions of civilians from communities of supposed apostates and enemies.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for apostate 
Noun
All the while, Islamist leaders throughout the Muslim world have vilified Riyadh as a U.S. lackey and an apostate regime.
—Bernard Haykel, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2024
If the conflict in Syria is a religious war against apostates rather than a geopolitical scuffle, more militants will be drawn toward the conflict and away from the crown.
—Andrew L. Peek, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2016
Liz Cheney, the former Republican congresswoman from Wyoming and an ardent conservative, is an apostate for modern times.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 10 Dec. 2023
The latter — driven by an apocalyptic, millenarian creed — had embarked on a frenzy of killing, torture, grisly execution and abductions of civilians from communities of supposed apostates and enemies.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for apostate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apostate
Noun
-
Rachel knows that William is too good to be a deserter.Lincee Ray, EW.com, 30 Nov. 2024
-
Still, the officer harbors no ill will toward deserters.Samya Kullab and Volodymyr Yurchuk, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Three ‘traitors’ are given the opportunity to ‘murder’ contestants, while remaining ‘faithfuls’ have to smoke them out, and the group compete in daily challenges to keep the prize fund steady.Max Goldbart, Deadline, 26 Nov. 2024
-
Like Trump, Carlson appeals to his base by positioning himself as a class traitor—not a man of the people, exactly, but an apostate from the cosmopolitan élite.Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
After receiving reports of a renegade alpaca or goat roaming the area, the Greendale police clarified in a Facebook post Thursday that people were actually seeing a white deer named Penelope.Quinn Clark, Journal Sentinel, 29 Nov. 2024
-
Winner of the Jury Prize and a collective Best Actress Award at Cannes, renegade auteur and HIFF alum Jacques Audiard’s (RUST AND BONE, DHEEPAN) latest odyssey is an audacious fever dream that defies genres and expectations.Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024
Noun
-
At the Court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said Sunday that judges were ready to resume work quickly.SARAH EL DEEB, arkansasonline.com, 10 Dec. 2024
-
As Bashar al-Assad's government collapsed and Syrian rebels rose to power, Israel embarked on an extensive bombing campaign, purportedly aimed at disarming extremists who may rise to power during the unrest.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
The potential members of a schismatic Catholic sect are located in areas of the world such as the United States, where the church has significant financial resources and assets, plus a wide array of independent Catholic institutions that operate largely outside the hierarchy of the church.Massimo Faggioli, Foreign Affairs, 11 Oct. 2018
-
But Barzani’s setback only birthed a schismatic new cadre of Kurdish leaders.Behnam Ben Taleblu, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2017
Noun
-
Initially a religious movement focused on promoting Yemen's Zaidi Shiite Muslim community, Ansar Allah grew into a powerful insurgent group that captured large swathes of northern territory, including Sanaa, between late 2014 and early 2015.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
-
The country is now largely under the control of an insurgent group named Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS.Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
To avoid that common pitfall, Heller’s nontraditional audition process for the film’s son involved a lot of just hanging out in the park and playing with kids.Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 6 Dec. 2024
-
However, millennials and Gen Z investors are increasingly turning to fintech to guide their rising interest in cryptocurrency and other nontraditional investments.Jaime Catmull, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
For the three months that followed, the 16-year-old and her family, along with thousands of other Muslims, lived in fear as sectarian violence broke out and transformed the country.Annabel Gutterman, TIME, 10 Dec. 2024
-
The latter refers to the sectarian bloodletting that followed Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein’s removal.Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near apostate
Cite this Entry
“Apostate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apostate. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share