rebellion

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun rebellion differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of rebellion are insurrection, mutiny, revolt, revolution, and uprising. While all these words mean "an outbreak against authority," rebellion implies an open formidable resistance that is often unsuccessful.

open rebellion against the officers

Where would mutiny be a reasonable alternative to rebellion?

The words mutiny and rebellion can be used in similar contexts, but mutiny applies to group insubordination or insurrection especially against naval authority.

a mutiny led by the ship's cook

How do revolt and insurrection relate to one another, in the sense of rebellion?

Both revolt and insurrection imply an armed uprising that quickly fails or succeeds.

a revolt by the Young Turks that surprised party leaders
an insurrection of oppressed laborers

When might revolution be a better fit than rebellion?

The words revolution and rebellion are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, revolution applies to a successful rebellion resulting in a major change (as in government).

a political revolution that toppled the monarchy

In what contexts can uprising take the place of rebellion?

While in some cases nearly identical to rebellion, uprising implies a brief, limited, and often immediately ineffective rebellion.

quickly put down the uprising

Example 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 rebellion With a mix of humor, heart, and just the right amount of rebellion, Matilda is an all-time family favorite. Kara Nesvig, Parents, 12 Mar. 2025 The truest form of cultural rebellion has always been to simply avoid it. Marina Bolotnikova, Vox, 6 Mar. 2025 The film traces the journey of the heroine’s rebellion juxtaposed with the hero’s transformation into a lover boy. Sweta Kaushal, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025 Boston in many ways was the center of the rebellion against British rule and law. Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rebellion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebellion
Noun
  • This change sparked revolt and, eventually, revolution.
    Carla Gardina Pestana, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Carney assumed his role as Liberal leader and prime minister after his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, announced his resignation in January amid a polling slump for the Liberal Party and an internal revolt in his cabinet.
    Max Saltman, CNN, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • She was shown writing her real name (girls and women in Gilead are forbidden to read and write) and giving the camera a signature June look of defiance.
    Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Below ground, Red Ribbon, a hidden cocktail lounge, nods to Asheville’s spirited anti-Prohibitionists, who wore red ribbons as a symbol of defiance.
    Jenn Rice, AFAR Media, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • More recently, in March 2024, his court issued a unanimous decision blocking state-level efforts to bar Trump from the ballot under the Constitution’s insurrection clause—a ruling that secured Trump’s path to renomination.
    Nik Popli, TIME, 19 Mar. 2025
  • The Department of Justice expunged the January 6th insurrection from its website, and whitehouse.gov took down an explainer page about the Constitution.
    Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Karla Jay remembers joining the second night of street protests during the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City.
    Orion Rummler, Them, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Egypt’s military governments have long been deeply distrustful of Islamist movements, notably the homegrown Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, and Sisi himself came to power in a military coup against a Muslim Brotherhood president who was elected after the uprising of 2011.
    Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs, 14 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • This isn’t a flippant analogy; during the Indian mutiny of 1857, British soldiers looted the Taj Mahal, removing rare gems and lapis lazuli.
    Ralph Leonard, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2025
  • Death in a hail of bullets has been used to punish mutinies and desertion in armies, as frontier justice in America’s Old West, and as a tool of terror and political repression in the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.
    Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Alleging disobedience, among other claimed doctrinal infractions, the OCA excommunicated the Homyks and longtime parish council leader Rivera.
    Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Pardons have sometimes been used in the past — in some cases wisely, in others not — to turn the page on divisive episodes of civil disorder and disobedience.
    The Editors, National Review, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The disrespect of Shedeur Sanders has reached absurd levels.
    Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 9 Mar. 2025
  • My concerns have only doubled since the hearing, at which two academics from the University of Connecticut’s Puerto Rican Studies Initiative for Civic Engagement and Public Policy were treated with suspicion and sidelong disrespect by certain legislators.
    Julio Fuentes, Hartford Courant, 8 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Rebellion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebellion. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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