as in rebels
someone who tries to overthrow or undermine a governing power
They were outted as subversives and exiled from the country.
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Recent Examples of subversives
Loners lashing out America has had genuine subversives and left-wing terror networks in the past.
—
Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025
Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subversives
Noun
-
Puskin was sent into exile by Tsar Alexander I after his poem Ode to Liberty was found among the possessions of the rebels of the Decemberist uprising.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
The rebels have imprisoned thousands of people including United Nations staffers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Many advanced states understand the need for some kind of violent reaction to terrorists or insurgents, usually as a task for special-operations forces.—
Eliot A. Cohen,
The Atlantic,
11 May 2026
-
Both political insurgents were elected under extraordinary circumstances.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Noun
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In the second half of the 20th century, everyone who was anyone in American culture – from Hollywood icons to presidents and revolutionaries – had their portrait taken by Avedon.—
Sheena McKenzie,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
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In a video message, Rubio discussed the faith of American revolutionaries and the role of Christian missionaries who aimed to spread the Gospel through the country's western expansion.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
At the time, several hundred thousand unions, socialists, anarchists and reformers took to the streets to advocate for the eight-hour workday.—
Preston Mizell,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Several of the anarchists were convicted of the deaths, to strong public approval.—
Jim Nowlan,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The president has spent a decade calling his rivals communists and traitors, among other hyperbolic insults.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
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Military culture is fiercely self-protective, and soldiers who criticize it are usually treated as traitors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subversives.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subversives. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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