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
Manuel Rueda, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Bellingcat published evidence that Russia had bombed a mosque and a hospital in the country and had used cluster munitions on a rebel group that was backed by the United States.
—Nick Tabor, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026
Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Though rebels surrendered, the uprising set the stage for the broader push against British occupation and ultimately, the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Lee Billings, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
Two decades after Steve Jobs premiered the iPhone, a small but passionate movement — with offshoots in several countries — is rebelling against the omnipresent screen.
—ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Adjective
Petro, a leftist who was a member of a rebel group in his youth, has attempted to stage peace talks with Colombia’s remaining rebel groups under a strategy known as total peace.
—Manuel Rueda, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2026
Bellingcat published evidence that Russia had bombed a mosque and a hospital in the country and had used cluster munitions on a rebel group that was backed by the United States.
—Nick Tabor, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
Around six months after the prince’s email, Epstein started exploring potential business ventures with the anti-Gaddafi rebel forces, who ousted and killed the dictator in 2011.
—Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Though rebels surrendered, the uprising set the stage for the broader push against British occupation and ultimately, the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
Nothing can escape their depths, but as matter funnels into them, a small fraction of it can rebel at the brink of oblivion and form twin jets of terrifying power near the black hole’s poles that beam out into space.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2026
Two decades after Steve Jobs premiered the iPhone, a small but passionate movement — with offshoots in several countries — is rebelling against the omnipresent screen.
—ABC News, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebel
Adjective
-
Kravitz's sign is adventurous, blunt and always chasing a new adventure, while Styles' sign is rebellious, independent and slightly unpredictable.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
-
This tale of a rebellious unemployed mouse has already won a Goya.—
Kevin Giraud,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Kidal's capture in a similar militant-insurgent alliance over a decade ago was at the root of the security crisis that has shaken Mali.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Mali has faced years of escalating insurgent violence; the ruling military junta, which pledged to restore stability in a 2020 coup, turned to Russia for assistance in its counterinsurgency campaign.—
Lauren Morganbesser,
semafor.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Others revolted against mask-wearing and caused a ruckus in the air.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
2 May 2026
-
The plot’s framework mirrors Orwell’s with animals revolting against a farmer’s working conditions (sending them off to a slaughterhouse being the biggie).—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In her first public appearance since leaving Congress, Cherfilus-McCormick struck a defiant tone, framing her situation as a setback rather than an ending.—
WPEC Staff,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
-
While Metcalf’s Linda adopts a facade of stoicism to shield her family from the grief erupting in her, Abbott’s Biff is forced to reveal the broken man behind the defiant veneer.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The second includes former revolutionaries, reformists, communist factions and groups such as the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), many of whom emerged from or once supported the revolutionary system before later opposing it.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In 1777, he was summoned to Paris to meet with American revolutionaries, including Benjamin Franklin.—
Amanda Rosa
Updated April 28,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 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 4 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
