DEFECTOR Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

defector

noun

Definition of defector

as in deserter

a person who abandons a cause or organization usually without right the defector demanded political asylum in exchange for information about his nation's spying operations

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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 defector South Korea, which in its constitution claims to be the legitimate government of the entire Korean Peninsula, has long accepted and financially supported North Korean defectors. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 This hopeful documentary follows teenagers attending Jangdaehyun School in Busan, which helps the children of North Korean defectors to navigate life in South Korea. — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026 Its policy is to accept and support defectors from North Korea; more than 34,000 have arrived since the end of the Korean War. — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 29 Sep. 2026 South Korean research has documented possible signs of radiation exposure in defectors from North Korea who lived near the test site, but scientists said the cause remains unclear. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2026 But the new work found that if the rewards change with time (even by a small amount), then a second stable point emerges from the model, allowing both cooperators and defectors to coexist. — Chris Lee, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026 Mateen Bhaghani, another Golden Bear defector, converted a 38-yard field goal and the UCLA lead was 24-17 at the half. — Jeff Faraudo, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2026 Sources include defectors, informants and individuals who remain embedded within movements while passing information to outsiders. — Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026 Anthropic, founded by OpenAI defectors, is now expected to be the first of the two companies to go public, two people familiar with its plans say, with the IPO as early as September. — Alex Heath, Time, 26 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defector

Noun

The first homesteader was an army deserter from Fort Duchesne to the north.

— Erwin A. Bauer, Outdoor Life, 14 Oct. 2026
Intimate drama set in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, where a young Ukrainian deserter finds refuge with an elderly woman and forms an unlikely bond.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of deserter

Noun

Aside from his surprise heartthrob status, the British comedian has been vocal about feeling anxious as a traitor.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 19 Oct. 2026
Abby became suspicious of Kuehl during a private conversation about possible traitors in the group.

— Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of traitor

Noun

Niger’s ruling junta survived its most serious internal challenge since the 2023 coup after renegade soldiers mutinied in Niamey and Russian Africa Corps fighters helped presidential guards retake a key airbase.

— Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
In some ways, there is a strange kind of unity to these three—all are set during the Depression, all feature stylish renegades.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of renegade

Noun

The war next door United Nations experts have documented Rwandan military support for M23 rebels, which have seized territory in eastern DRC.

— Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
But the rebels also have an array of relatively cheap drones, including weapons supplied by Iran, and locally made copies of Iranian attack drones.

— Frank Andrews, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of rebel

Noun

Khalilzad on Friday wrote on X that there had been reports of Pakistan arming Afghans to fight the Taliban inside Afghanistan and of the Pakistani military recruiting Afghans to fight anti-Pakistan insurgents.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
President Emmanuel Macron has been the primary target of scorn following nationwide riots that overtook Paris and other cities, but the insurgent National Rally does not want to let mainstream conservatives off the hook.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of insurgent

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defector

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“Defector.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defector. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of defector

noun

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