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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in insurgent
a person who rises up against authority
the rebel would not submit peacefully, even after he was captured
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to revolt
to rise up against established authority
the colonists rebelled in the wake of an onslaught of abuses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 rebel
Jay Harris, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
He was denounced by rebel propagandists as a tyrant and remembered by Americans as a reactionary dolt.
—Bhumika Tharoor, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Dylan The ultimate high school rebel with a heart of gold.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 19 Jan. 2026
Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
Gardeners, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, are rebelling against throwaway culture by ditching disposable gardening.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Adjective
In December 2002, the MPCI joined forces with two other rebel factions to form the New Forces of Ivory Coast (FNCI).
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
He was denounced by rebel propagandists as a tyrant and remembered by Americans as a reactionary dolt.
—Bhumika Tharoor, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
Noun
Annabeth and Grover tell Percy that Chiron has returned, Luke has vanished, and the monsters and rebels have been driven away from the camp.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Dylan The ultimate high school rebel with a heart of gold.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 19 Jan. 2026
Verb
Communities are rebelling against the construction of massive data farms.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
Gardeners, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, are rebelling against throwaway culture by ditching disposable gardening.
—Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebel
Adjective
-
This news might come to many fans' surprise—but the sassy, whip-smart, and rebellious feminist Eloise Bridgerton does not stay single.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
-
With the sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Pluto all in Aquarius, the collective mood is future-focused, innovative, and a little rebellious.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Israel — home to more Holocaust survivors than any other country — marks its remembrance day, Yom HaShoah, on the anniversary of the April 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, emphasizing the heroism of the Jewish insurgents who resisted the Nazi terror.—
Vanessa Gera,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
-
According to two senior government officials, the Canadian armed forces were drafting insurgent-like tactics mirroring those used by the Taliban to fight back against the US invasion of Afghanistan.—
Joe Wilkins Published Jan 21,
Futurism,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Trump is being countered effectively by allied leaders and CEOs standing up in unity, and by financial markets openly revolting against his tantrums.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The movement could be broken apart by infighting over the succession, international allies might revolt, and domestic adversaries might find more appealing methods of responding to the crisis.—
Walter Russell Mead,
The Atlantic,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
When summoned before a congressional committee in December, Noem struck a defiant tone.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Between the river’s source, entrusted to an order of Orthodox nuns, and its southern delta, where caviar bound for the Kremlin is harvested, the author journeys through a defiant country transformed by war, sanctions, and reinvigorated patriotism.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Rahman is positioning himself as a bridge between a political aristocracy that dates back to Bangladesh’s liberation struggle and the aspirations of its young revolutionaries.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
-
But that's not all − quarters honoring national heroes from the abolitionist, suffragette and civil rights eras have been scrapped and will be replaced by those celebrating the nation's early White pioneers and revolutionaries.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Treated by many Americans as a traitor who had mutinied, Mr. Thompson was threatened with prosecution by lawmakers before being recognized decades later as a hero.—
Anna Mulrine Grobe,
Christian Science Monitor,
6 Dec. 2025
-
The 16th-century adventurer, who first circumnavigated the globe by sea in 1522, wavers beneath the pressure of his pursuit, ultimately leading his men to mutiny and madness on the Malay Archipelago.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
18 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rebel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebel. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
