insurgent 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of insurgentnext
as in revolutionary
taking part in a rebellion any insurgent soldiers will be dealt with harshly

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

insurgent

2 of 2

noun

in-ˈsər-jənt How to pronounce insurgent (audio)
as in rebel
a person who rises up against authority the government subjected the insurgents to the most inhuman torture imaginable

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 insurgent
Adjective
What began as insurgent energy on the fringes in the early 1980s has become the leadership’s governing logic. — Julian E. Zelizer, Washington Post, 17 July 2020 The pressure on Mamdani will be intense, as his administration will be seen nationwide as a barometer of the insurgent socialist movement's ability to govern. — Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025
Noun
Syria has been without a parliament since the December 2024 offensive by insurgents led by al-Sharaa’s now defunct Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, which ended the Assad family’s five-decade dynasty. — Ghaith Alsayed, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 Weiser, who served in the Obama administration and as Colorado’s attorney general since 2019, has positioned himself as the insurgent in the race against Bennet, linking the longtime senator to Washington. — Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for insurgent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insurgent
  1. revolutionary
  2. rebel
  3. rebellious
  4. traitorous
  5. insurrectionary
  6. treacherous
  7. mutinous
Adjective
  • The revolutionary leaders proved their character with sacrifice and bravery.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Even if reality ends up being 30–40%, that would prove revolutionary in commercial aviation.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026
Definition of revolutionary
Noun
  • Gillespie also has a reputation for melding music to movies, as seen in Cruella, his 2021 movie that cast Disney villainess Cruella de Vil as a punk rock rebel in London’s fashion scene.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026
  • The winner is the daughter of the late Alberto Fujimori, the former president whose government in the 1990s defeated the Shining Path extremist rebel group but also took an authoritarian turn.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of rebel
Adjective
  • For seven seasons, a hodgepodge crew mixing Starfleet and the rebellious Maquis put aside their differences after they got zapped 70,000 lightyears away from Earth, deep into the uncharted Delta Quadrant.
    — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026
  • This could bring about sudden ideas, or trigger rebellious impulses and creative imagination.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Definition of rebellious
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
Definition of traitorous
Adjective
  • The Iranian regime was, if not on the ropes, then in very serious trouble as recently as January, when, amid a terrible economic situation with an eviscerated middle class, a large proportion of the population—disgruntled, unhappy, insurrectionary, revolutionary—came out to protest on the streets.
    — Daniel Drake, The New York Review of Books, 16 May 2026
  • Mazzini therefore proposed to rely solely upon a national insurrectionary movement, aiming at unity in a free republic.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Mar. 2026
Definition of insurrectionary
Adjective
  • The infamous cyclops briefly appeared, as well as footage of Odysseus and his men battling the cannibalistic race of giants known as Laestrygonians and navigating around the treacherous whirlpool Charybdis.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 1 July 2026
  • According to the hiking blog, The Hiking HI, the rock bridge can only be traversed at low tide, but can be treacherous either way.
    — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 30 June 2026
Definition of treacherous
Adjective
  • France at a World Cup tends to carry a certain kind of expectation, elegance under pressure, brilliance available on demand, and the constant possibility that everything will suddenly become either sublime or mutinous.
    — Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 10 June 2026
  • Sandwiched in between was a draw with Chelsea, which felt like a defeat with the mood inside Anfield so mutinous.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 28 May 2026
Definition of mutinous

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Cite this Entry

“Insurgent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insurgent. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on insurgent

Nglish: Translation of insurgent for Spanish Speakers

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