defector

noun

Definition of defectornext
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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defector
  1. deserter
  2. traitor
  3. renegade
  4. rebel
  5. insurgent
Noun
  • Knight, a Mississippi farmer and Confederate deserter, led a rebellion against the Confederacy during the American Civil War.
    Travis Bean, Forbes, 2 Nov. 2024
  • Because of the security risks faced by Russian deserters, pseudonyms are used throughout.
    Sarah A. Topol, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2024
Definition of deserter
Noun
  • Cumming will lead a new group of 21 traitors from across a variety of other reality series.
    Anne Easton, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
  • He is now considered one of America’s worst traitors.
    Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 11 Oct. 2024
Definition of traitor
Noun
  • Draped in a black leather vest and pants, while sporting dark shades and a bucket hat, the reggaetón renegade exuded rugged charisma.
    Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
  • Still, a new report in a U.K. news outlet suggests that Harry and his American wife Meghan, renegade members of the British royal family who’ve been living in California, have decided to try and regain a foothold in Europe by buying a home in Portugal.
    Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2024
Definition of renegade
Noun
  • The rebels have threatened new attacks in response to Israel’s ground invasion of Lebanon and its killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
    Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2024
  • The Israel-Hamas war has intensified other conflicts in the Middle East, including attacks on international shipping lanes by Yemen’s Houthi rebels and between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah.
    Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2024
Definition of rebel
Noun
  • Operating in loose cooperation with Lebanese insurgents, these militias wreaked havoc on Israeli forces and their collaborators.
    Sarah E. Parkinson, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2024
  • His ascension was part of a wave of insurgent, anti-establishment candidates who sought to push the Republican Party further to the right.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Definition of insurgent
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Thesaurus Entries Near defector

defectiveness

defector

defectors

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Cite this Entry

“Defector.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defector. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

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More from Merriam-Webster on defector

Nglish: Translation of defector for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of defector for Arabic Speakers

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