1
as in insurgent
taking part in a rebellion
the rebellious troops fought a pitched battle with divisions still loyal to the government
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rebel
given to resisting authority or another's control
expected her son to grow a little more rebellious as he got older, but she knew he understood when to kick and when to obey
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rebellious
Then she gets initiated into this group of more rebellious women.
—
Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 7 June 2026
The high-contrast palette makes the design feel sharp, modern, and just a little rebellious.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 5 June 2026
In others, the rebellious teenager drinks elsewhere.
—Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 4 June 2026
Never mind that the 68-year-old actor, who played the rebellious, impulsive wizard Sirius Black in the Harry Potter film franchise, couldn’t tell you the difference between a Hufflepuff and, say, a Gryffindor.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebellious
Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 7 June 2026
The high-contrast palette makes the design feel sharp, modern, and just a little rebellious.
—Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 5 June 2026
In others, the rebellious teenager drinks elsewhere.
—Thomas Lake, AJC.com, 4 June 2026
Never mind that the 68-year-old actor, who played the rebellious, impulsive wizard Sirius Black in the Harry Potter film franchise, couldn’t tell you the difference between a Hufflepuff and, say, a Gryffindor.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for rebellious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebellious
Adjective
-
Four years ago, during his insurgent first campaign, this editorial board had been wary of some of Mejia’s radical rhetoric.—
The Editorial Board,
Daily News,
10 June 2026
-
Twenty years on, Pratt is once again a figure who can’t be ignored: an insurgent challenger to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s reelection bid.—
Louis Staples,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
In a sport long defined by its rigidity and rigorous training, Liu, 20, is a rebel and role model for simply loving to skate.—
Alice Park,
Time,
9 June 2026
-
De la Espriella has promised to cancel the talks and take a more confrontational approach to rebel groups that includes using airplanes to spray coca fields with herbicides.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
And at the very center of Hell is Satan himself, the traitorous Archangel Lucifer, depicted as a monstrous creature with wings and three heads.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
11 May 2026
-
Russell fabricates a lie with the rest of the villains, and the heroes believe it, despite a warning from one traitorous tribemate.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Continue reading … POLITICS GROUNDED — Republicans cheer plan to choke international travel at defiant liberal hubs.—
,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
-
Speaking to voters over the weekend from the picturesque resort town of Ogunquit, the Washington Examiner found an air of unease among some, in one case downright hostility, and in others defiant support.—
David Millward,
The Washington Examiner,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
What made this system truly revolutionary was the demonstration in 2012 that it could be reprogrammed with different pieces of guide RNA to edit virtually any genome in any species, and at a level of precision and ease that far surpassed existing gene-editing tools.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
11 June 2026
-
Her other books include Adèle, Sex and Lies, Country of Others and Watch Us Dance, which are the first and second parts of a trilogy of novels based on her family’s roots in revolutionary Morocco.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Researchers have been looking into ways to reduce the stubborn inflammation HIV causes in the central nervous system.—
Smita S. Iyer,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
-
The findings, published in 2025 in Brain Stimulation, point to a fundamentally new way of treating one of the most stubborn psychiatric conditions, using a miniaturized implant that delivers brief bursts of stimulation only during key moments of exposure therapy.—
Samantha Agate,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rebellious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebellious. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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