as in deserter
a person who abandons a cause or organization usually without right
the defector demanded political asylum in exchange for information about his nation's spying operations
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defector
Noun
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Members of the Rwandan diaspora are regularly contacted by army deserters asking for help.—
Michela Wrong,
Foreign Affairs,
3 Mar. 2025 -
Against overwhelming odds, Scott dares the unthinkable — cross behind enemy lines, survive the lethal landscape, evade capture by ruthless enemies, resist natural predators, face human deserters and finish the mission singlehandedly.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Questioning Tulsi Gabbard about her appointment as the director of National Intelligence, Republican senators begged her to agree with them that Edward Snowden was a traitor for leaking sensitive documents and then fleeing to Moscow.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2025
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Continue reading … 'CLOSER TO RUSSIA' – Dem fires back after Elon Musk doubles down on 'traitor' accusation.—
FOXNews.com,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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While one reading of Xi is that his rhetoric is in part a strategic move to burnish Chinese power globally, labeling Taiwan as a renegade or breakaway province is, for many, a clear indication of an intention to invade and bring the island within the geography of Chinese sovereignty.—
Colin Flint,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2025
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The renegades were attempting to void the ACC’s grant-of-rights agreement, which would clear them to join the SEC or Big Ten.—
Jon Wilner,
The Mercury News,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The new campaign of airstrikes started after the rebels threatened to resume targeting Israeli ships over Israel’s blocking of aid entering the Gaza Strip.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Its members include Lebanon's Hezbollah, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and Yemen's Houthi rebels.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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His unit was in western Iraq, at a time of fierce fighting against insurgent forces and car bombs.—
Quil Lawrence,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2025
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From Myanmar comes the story of a student turned insurgent who joined a militant guerilla group set on overthrowing the country’s military junta.—
The Dial,
The Dial,
1 Apr. 2025
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“Defector.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defector. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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