insurgency

noun

in-ˈsər-jən(t)-sē How to pronounce insurgency (audio)
Definition of insurgencynext
as in insurrection
open fighting against authority (as one's own government) there always seems to be insurgency of some type in that troubled country

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 insurgency Balochistan has endured a long-running insurgency by groups that accuse Pakistan of discriminating against the province and exploiting its natural resources. — Munir Ahmed, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2026 His moves have led to hopes of eventual stability in a country that was wracked by civil war and the Islamic State insurgency that engulfed northeast and western Iraq for years. — Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026 In contrast, some discount the 1960s dates and consider the start to be 1972, when the ZANLA insurgency began a new, more intense level of guerrilla fighting. — Chinatsu Tsuji, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026 For instance, did the Soviets invade Afghanistan out of (a) fear of Muslim insurgency, (b) Iran-cognizant Realpolitik or (c) lust for a port on the Persian Gulf? — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for insurgency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insurgency
  1. insurrection
  2. revolt
  3. uprising
  4. rebellion
  5. mutiny
Noun
  • The insurrection drew immediate and obvious parallels to the United States, which, during much of the past decade, has lurched alongside Brazil through a strange hall of mirrors.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Beyond calling and readying Americans for a fight against the insurrection, Lincoln also outlined the meaning and memory of the conflict about to commence.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of insurrection
Noun
  • That might have caused something of a revolt among American NFL fans wanting to drive down the road to their local team's stadium and enjoy America's game – in America.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The combination of slow growth, high inflation, profligate spending, and soaring debt has stirred a revolt in financial markets.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of revolt
Noun
  • Just weeks after the experiment ended, a prison uprising at Attica Correctional Facility in New York was thwarted with deadly force, resulting in 43 deaths.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
  • France's post-revolution history is not a solid story of protests and reforms, but of cycles of popular uprisings, repression, mobilization and political concessions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of uprising
Noun
  • Within 36 hours one of the prisoners had an apparent mental breakdown, and on the second day the inmates staged a rebellion.
    — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In their utopian reconstruction of a mythic past, the Agrarians’ polemics failed to mention the South’s legacies of slavery and rebellion.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • Its leader, Sergei Mironov, 73, once gained headlines by posing with a symbol of brutality — a sledgehammer given to him by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the late Wagner mercenary leader shortly before his failed 2023 mutiny.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Step aboard the Grampus, a whaleship gone adrift after a storm, rations running out and a violent mutiny, and learn what happened to its ghost whalers.
    — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of mutiny

Browse Nearby Words

insurgencies
insurgency
insurgent
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Cite this Entry

“Insurgency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insurgency. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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