as in rebel
someone who tries to overthrow or undermine a governing power
They were outted as subversives and exiled from the country.
Related Words
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as in violent
seeking to overthrow or undermine a governing power
A subversive organization determined to unseat a leader who they believed operated outside the law.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subversive
Noun
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Adapted from Chinese folklore, the film follows a boy named Ne Zha (Crystal Lee) who is born with demon-like powers and rebels against his hawk-eyed, human parents Lady Yin and Li Jing (Vincent Rodriguez III).—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025 -
Since January, thousands were killed and hundreds of thousands were displaced in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the fighting between M23 rebels and the Congolese army.—
Jean Kaseya,
Time,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But Over-the-Rhine and Downtown have seen an uptick in violent crime.—
Brenda Ordonez,
The Enquirer,
21 Aug. 2025
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Coleman said about 175 people convicted of violent crimes that took place before the law's effective date who had not yet been sentenced could have been eligible for early release.—
Lucas Aulbach,
The Courier-Journal,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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But as the threat of insurgents has receded abroad, the Trump administration has brought these tactics home.—
Time,
Time,
8 Aug. 2025
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On the one hand, there is the prospect of insurgents who can field swarms of armed drones.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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Test yourself on melon meccas and revolutionary roots in this week's American Culture Quiz.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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What grew out of that initial request was a fairly revolutionary effort that was eventually dubbed the Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project (HFIP).—
Andrea Thompson,
Scientific American,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Throughout the late nineteenth century and much of the twentieth, Jewish socialists, liberals, anarchists, and Zionists all saw their respective political programs as offering a remedy for anti-Semitism.—
Daniel May,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
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Jewish anarchists in America Max moved to Philadelphia in 1906 to work with another immigrant named Joseph Cohen.—
Geoffrey Baym,
The Conversation,
5 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Subversive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subversive. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.
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