revolt 1 of 2

Definition of revoltnext
as in insurrection
open fighting against authority (as one's own government) soon the revolt had spread to every corner of the country

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

revolt

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun revolt differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of revolt are insurrection, mutiny, rebellion, revolution, and uprising. While all these words mean "an outbreak against authority," 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 is it sensible to use mutiny instead of revolt?

The meanings of mutiny and revolt largely overlap; however, mutiny applies to group insubordination or insurrection especially against naval authority.

a mutiny led by the ship's cook

When could rebellion be used to replace revolt?

While in some cases nearly identical to revolt, rebellion implies an open formidable resistance that is often unsuccessful.

open rebellion against the officers

When can revolution be used instead of revolt?

Although the words revolution and revolt have much in common, revolution applies to a successful rebellion resulting in a major change (as in government).

a political revolution that toppled the monarchy

When might uprising be a better fit than revolt?

The synonyms uprising and revolt are sometimes interchangeable, but 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 revolt
Noun
When did the-- when did the uprisings, when did the revolt in the street happen in Iran? CBS News, 10 May 2026 Reporters soon descended, leading to subsequent lore of a sort of revolt, with students, particularly varsity athletes, chasing reporters away, even — as legend has it — locking some in the music room. Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2026
Verb
The package had languished in the House despite being approved without opposition last month in the Senate, as Republicans revolted, forcing a separate path for the immigration funds. Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026 The house also is connected to Connecticut history through the Amistad, the ship from which, in 1839, kidnapped Africans revolted and fought successfully for their freedom. Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for revolt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for revolt
Noun
  • Trump then referred to his $5 billion lawsuit against the BBC, over edits made in a 2024 documentary on the January 6 insurrection.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 15 May 2026
  • But for those less familiar—say, a teenager who was just 10 when the January 6 insurrection happened—the museum does not guide.
    Kelsey Ables, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
Verb
  • Even the consciousness on the back of her head is disgusted with her, but hey, Ashley has always been her own worst critic.
    Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 13 May 2026
  • The researchers also found that being young, female, and well educated increased the odds that someone would be moist averse, as did being disgusted more generally by bodily functions.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Jane rebelled against Marge’s efforts to manage her choices, especially on whom to date.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 May 2026
  • Embracing a visual vocabulary of the lowbrow and the rudimentary is a tried-and-true method of rebelling against a culture that feels vapid or corporatized.
    Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 6 May 2026
Noun
  • In January, 2019, amid the popular uprising that would ultimately dissolve Bashir’s government, Ibrahim’s employer assisted the family in obtaining visas and plane tickets to Jordan.
    Annie Hylton, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
  • Cody Bellinger then grounded into a forceout that produced a run, Amed Rosario got an RBI on an infield hit and Grisham capped the uprising with his sixth home run.
    ABC News, ABC News, 12 May 2026
Verb
  • Firstman’s debut directorial effort, Club Kid, shrewdly acknowledges those garish personality tics, which have both endeared and repulsed audiences.
    Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026
  • Anyone who has worked in or observed the media industry for the last couple of decades will recognize and be repulsed by nepo-baby Jay, who is undeniably villainous.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The only real threat to Putin’s authority came a year into the war, when Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the founder of Wagner, a Russian paramilitary organization, launched a mutiny directed against Russia’s military leadership.
    Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
  • That’s when three-term incumbent Richard Woods will face four Republican challengers and a mutiny among GOP lawmakers, giving him what could be the toughest election he’s ever faced.
    Patricia Murphy, AJC.com, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The development comes as global health officials continue monitoring the rare hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius, which has sickened multiple passengers.
    Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
  • The outbreak has killed three people and sickened 10 since it was first identified aboard the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius during its monthlong voyage in early May.
    Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 17 May 2026
Noun
  • The rebellion stems from Labor’s heavy losses in local elections last week and widespread party frustration over Starmer’s leadership, stagnant economic growth and failure to deliver on campaign promises.
    Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
  • On the internet, masculinism is presented as a rebellion—a transgressive middle finger to the liberal establishment, expressed in all the words a corporate HR department would order you not to say.
    Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 14 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Revolt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/revolt. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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