1
a
: opposing or taking arms against a government or ruler
b
: of or relating to rebels
the rebel camp
2
rebelled; rebelling
1
a
: to oppose or disobey one in authority or control
b
: to renounce and resist by force the authority of one's government
2
a
: to act in or show opposition or disobedience
rebelled against the conventions of polite society
b
: to feel or exhibit anger or revulsion
rebelled at the injustice of life
Synonyms
Examples of rebel in a Sentence
Adjective
today's rebel chefs feel free to ignore the dictates of classic French cuisine
Noun
The government captured six armed rebels.
He was a rebel against the school administration.
He is a typical teenage rebel.
Verb
When the government imposed more taxes, the people rebelled.
The protesters are rebelling against the new tax law.
Children often rebel against their parents.
Recent Examples on the Web
JSTOR Daily, 8 Jan. 2025
The world has become a series of separate totalitarian quarantine zones and independent settlements, with a thriving black market and a rebel militia known as the Fireflies making life complicated for the survivors.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 7 Jan. 2025
Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
Their nations have also tried to coordinate on policies toward Syria, where rebels recently toppled Bashar al-Assad, the longtime dictator.
—Edward Wong, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Essence, 9 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, break-off factions also started to rebel, the main one being the Banished, led by a Jiralhanae stalker named Atriox.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 29 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rebel 
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.
Adjective
Our Most Popular Stories of 2024 The artifacts of ancient technologies, the allure of rebel science, and many, many ghosts.
—JSTOR Daily, 8 Jan. 2025
The world has become a series of separate totalitarian quarantine zones and independent settlements, with a thriving black market and a rebel militia known as the Fireflies making life complicated for the survivors.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
In The Rise of Skywalker, the rebels manage to amass an army and take the fight to the evil Emperor Palpatine, who threatened to take over the galaxy with the biggest military force ever seen.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
Their nations have also tried to coordinate on policies toward Syria, where rebels recently toppled Bashar al-Assad, the longtime dictator.
—Edward Wong, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
Some kids, growing up, want to rebel and follow a different path from their parents.
—Essence, 9 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, break-off factions also started to rebel, the main one being the Banished, led by a Jiralhanae stalker named Atriox.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 29 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rebel
Dictionary Entries Near rebel
Cite this Entry
“Rebel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebel. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rebel
1 of 3 adjective
reb·el
ˈreb-əl 
1
: being or fighting against one's government or ruler
2
: not obeying
rebel
2 of 3 noun
: a person who refuses to give in to authority
rebel
3 of 3 verb
re·bel
ri-ˈbel
rebelled; rebelling
1
: to be against or fight against authority and especially the authority of one's government
2
: to feel or show anger or strong dislike
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share