as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
today's rebel chefs feel free to ignore the dictates of classic French cuisine
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in insurgent
a person who rises up against authority
the rebel would not submit peacefully, even after he was captured
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to revolt
to rise up against established authority
the colonists rebelled in the wake of an onslaught of abuses
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rebel
Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 May 2025
Dozens of young men marched into the square after Friday prayers ended at a nearby mosque, waving the flag of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Sunni former rebel group that took power in December.
—Nanna Heitmann, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 14 May 2025
The sanctions had been imposed against Assad’s regime amid a brutal civil war, and his government was driven out of office by Syrian rebels late last year.
—Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 14 May 2025
Hans Nichols, Axios, 7 May 2025
But legislators from space-friendly states that depend on NASA for thousands of local jobs—most notably Texas, Florida, and California—rebelled, and funding was restored for both vehicles.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Adjective
Iran has denied accusations of providing assistance to the rebel group.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 May 2025
Dozens of young men marched into the square after Friday prayers ended at a nearby mosque, waving the flag of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Sunni former rebel group that took power in December.
—Nanna Heitmann, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Noun
Having watched Cassian’s evolution from a rando into a rebel over the course of 24 episodes, decent chunks of Rogue One will hit a little weirdly.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 14 May 2025
The sanctions had been imposed against Assad’s regime amid a brutal civil war, and his government was driven out of office by Syrian rebels late last year.
—Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 14 May 2025
Verb
Medicaid benefits: Moderates are rebelling against per-capita spending caps, as well as shifting some of the cost burden to the states.
—Hans Nichols, Axios, 7 May 2025
But legislators from space-friendly states that depend on NASA for thousands of local jobs—most notably Texas, Florida, and California—rebelled, and funding was restored for both vehicles.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebel
Adjective
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These two regions are no longer promising New World upstarts or rebellious outposts of Bordeaux.—
Jessica Dupuy,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
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Meanwhile, Paul finds himself in a work crisis that puts the lifestyle of Julie and their rebellious son Russ (Simon Webster) in jeopardy, leading Julie back to the dopey sweetness of Carey.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
19 May 2025
Noun
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For decades, the Philippine armed forces battled insurgents in the southern reaches of the archipelago.—
ELY RATNER,
Foreign Affairs,
27 May 2025
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The insurgents have become the establishment, and the purpose of the establishment is always to protect itself.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Topline Republicans revolted against President Donald Trump’s signature legislative agenda Friday that would enact tax cuts and immigration policy, blocking it from reaching the House floor for a formal vote.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2025
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June, whose unflinching stare is the surest way to persuade the Handmaids to revolt, is going to sneak into Beantown and arm the others with knives.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
6 May 2025
Adjective
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Bowser’s shifting response on immigration matters is one of a number of ways the mayor, a leading figure in the Democratic resistance during Trump’s first term, is now striking a less defiant tone.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
28 May 2025
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Moxley took out Nightingale to massive heat, and Omega hit a snap-dragon suplex on a defiant Marina Shafir.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Noun
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In between those two explosions are several plane crashes, a spate of trigger-happy communist revolutionaries, and a homicidal argument over the profits from a poison gas that has killed more than 10,000 soldiers.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
18 May 2025
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The film centers on the young Syrian revolutionaries who rebel against the regime of then-Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s and create an secret underground library with thousands of books buried under the ruins.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
14 May 2025
Verb
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In 1913, Swiss Guards mutinied for a week in response but eventually received military training as Repond wanted, Alvarez wrote in The Pope's Soldiers: A Military History of the Modern Vatican.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
7 May 2025
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In June 2023, the group mutinied and marched on Moscow before then leader Yevgeny Prigozhin negotiated a deal with the Kremlin.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
13 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Rebel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebel. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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