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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defector
Noun
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The landing force annihilated, the battle is lost. Against overwhelming odds, Scott dares the unthinkable — cross behind enemy lines, survive the lethal landscape, evade capture by ruthless enemies, resist natural predators, face human deserters and finish the mission singlehandedly.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
14 Mar. 2025 -
And while there are occasional deserters, the intellectual stratum is enlarging.—
Marquis William Childs,
Harper's Magazine,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Questioning Tulsi Gabbard about her appointment as the director of National Intelligence, Republican senators begged her to agree with them that Edward Snowden was a traitor for leaking sensitive documents and then fleeing to Moscow.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2025
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Continue reading … 'CLOSER TO RUSSIA' – Dem fires back after Elon Musk doubles down on 'traitor' accusation.—
FOXNews.com,
FOXNews.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The renegades were attempting to void the ACC’s grant-of-rights agreement, which would clear them to join the SEC or Big Ten.—
Jon Wilner,
The Mercury News,
14 Feb. 2025
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Sports Illustrated even called for UM to disband what was seen then as a renegade football program led by a coach playing by his own rules.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
5 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Parnell, the Pentagon spokesperson, said the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, which has been carrying out strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen, will stay in the region through this month, though its deployment there was scheduled to have ended at the end of March.—
Haley Britzky,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2025
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The rebels have loosely defined what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning many vessels could be targeted.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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His unit was in western Iraq, at a time of fierce fighting against insurgent forces and car bombs.—
Quil Lawrence,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2025
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From Myanmar comes the story of a student turned insurgent who joined a militant guerilla group set on overthrowing the country’s military junta.—
The Dial,
The Dial,
1 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Defector.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defector. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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