rebellion

noun

ri-ˈbel-yən How to pronounce rebellion (audio)
Definition of rebellionnext
1
as in revolt
open fighting against authority (as one's own government) the rebellion would have failed if not for the aid sent by other countries

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in defiance
refusal to obey the period of rebellion that teenagers typically go through

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 Be intentional with your actions, rather than choosing rebellion. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026 Carnival in the Caribbean is a longstanding tradition rooted in Black rebellion. —Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2026 Lighton uses these dynamics, instead, to sow a seed of individual rebellion. —Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026 Cho's team has demanded the death sentence for Yoon by viewing his martial law imposition as a rebellion. —Arkansas Online, 29 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rebellion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebellion
  1. revolt
  2. defiance
  3. insurrection
  4. rebelliousness
  5. uprising
  6. willfulness
  7. mutiny
  8. disobedience
Noun
  • Continue reading … THINK AGAIN — New 'microgeneration' of students revolts against 'cringy' campus wokeness.
    — , FOXNews.com, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Outlets including the Wrap and Hollywood Reporter have reported that top agents including Duffy McSwiggin and Marty Diamond, who represent Joni Mitchell and Coldplay, among others, have led a staff revolt demanding Wasserman leave or sell the firm.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of revolt
Noun
  • Some Iranians keep showing defiance anyway.
    — Sanam Mahoozi Arlette Bashizi Saumya Khandelwal Stephen Marche, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
  • For the next 47 years the ban stood, though a few skaters still performed backflips in competition as a show of defiance.
    — Caroline Tien, SELF, 9 Feb. 2026
Definition of defiance
Noun
  • Enter Sun Ra, brimming with eccentric insurrection, claiming his music’s power to topple walls.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Americans have been skeptical of brown-skinned people since the days of the Alamo, always fearful Latinos are one step away from insurrection and thus must always be subjugated.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Definition of insurrection
Noun
  • The natural obstinacy and rebelliousness of Israa’s teenage years are hyperaccelerated by culture clashes with both her family and the other kids around her.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2026
  • This transit stokes your sense of independence and even rebelliousness, inspiring you to strike out against convention and innovate more than ever.
    — Maressa Brown, InStyle, 9 Jan. 2026
Definition of rebelliousness
Noun
  • Medical workers sympathetic to the uprising, meanwhile, have also changed the names and injuries listed on some patients’ medical charts, to protect their identities from authorities.
    — Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Bangladesh votes on Thursday in the first election since a Gen Z rebellion toppled an ageing autocrat – an uprising tens of millions of young people dreamt could chart a new course for their country.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of uprising
Noun
  • Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.
    — Brad Shoup, Pitchfork, 24 Jan. 2026
  • The orphan’s predicament is as much a matter of willfulness as of survival—inseparable, as in the works of Charles Dickens, from a dream of being somehow rescued by the idea of an adult world.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Nov. 2025
Definition of willfulness
Noun
  • Alekseyev, 64, played a prominent role during the mutiny by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in the summer of 2023.
    — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 9 Feb. 2026
  • In 2023, Alekseyev was sent by the Russian military to negotiate with Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner private mercenary group, during the Wagner group’s mutiny.
    — CNN's Tim Lister, CNN Money, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of mutiny
Noun
  • As litigation commenced and DHS officials were called to testify, judges became frustrated at the rampant false testimony and disobedience of the government.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
  • The passenger was arrested, and now faces charges of crime of resistance and disobedience.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
Definition of disobedience

Browse Nearby Words

rebelling (against)
rebellion
rebellions
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Cite this Entry

“Rebellion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebellion. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of rebellion for Spanish Speakers

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