saboteur

noun

sab·​o·​teur ˌsa-bə-ˈtər How to pronounce saboteur (audio)
-ˈtu̇r,
-ˈtyu̇r
Synonyms of saboteurnext
: one that practices sabotage

Examples of saboteur in a Sentence

The car's tires were slashed by saboteurs.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
As the sun and Chiron harmonize, face your inner saboteur. — USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2025 One common tactic saboteurs use is to leak bits and pieces of insider information to distract, stir backlash and ultimately hamper the changes. — Troy Batterberry, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025 Such invective, coming from a saboteur with firsthand experience of institutional prudishness, put DeGenevieve in a paradoxical position: that of a professor who, because she was tenured, had the luxury of deriding her own ivory tower. — Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 1 Feb. 2025 Before the computer age, saboteurs had trouble calibrating and controlling the effects of their actions. — Thomas Rid, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2013 See All Example Sentences for saboteur

Word History

Etymology

French, from saboter

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of saboteur was in 1921

Rhymes for saboteur

See All Rhymes for saboteur

Browse Nearby Words

saboteur
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Cite this Entry

“Saboteur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saboteur. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

saboteur

noun
sab·​o·​teur ˌsab-ə-ˈtər How to pronounce saboteur (audio)
-ˈt(y)u̇(ə)r
: a person who performs sabotage

More from Merriam-Webster on saboteur

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