rebellion

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun rebellion differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of rebellion are insurrection, mutiny, revolt, revolution, and uprising. While all these words mean "an outbreak against authority," rebellion implies an open formidable resistance that is often unsuccessful.

open rebellion against the officers

Where would mutiny be a reasonable alternative to rebellion?

The words mutiny and rebellion can be used in similar contexts, but mutiny applies to group insubordination or insurrection especially against naval authority.

a mutiny led by the ship's cook

How do revolt and insurrection relate to one another, in the sense of rebellion?

Both revolt and insurrection imply an armed uprising that quickly fails or succeeds.

a revolt by the Young Turks that surprised party leaders
an insurrection of oppressed laborers

When might revolution be a better fit than rebellion?

The words revolution and rebellion are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, revolution applies to a successful rebellion resulting in a major change (as in government).

a political revolution that toppled the monarchy

In what contexts can uprising take the place of rebellion?

While in some cases nearly identical to rebellion, uprising implies a brief, limited, and often immediately ineffective rebellion.

quickly put down the uprising

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 rebellion The statutes grant the president the power use the military to put down a rebellion at the federal or state level. Mandy Taheri, Newsweek, 8 Mar. 2025 Under Azra’s oppressive regime, a rebellion headed by a mythical figure known as Uchawi, in alliance with the forest-dwelling Root Sisters, has grown in the shadows to take back Talamh and restore its magical essence. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2025 The Ukrainian counter-offensive had not yet failed; Russia had not yet reconstituted its mutilated armed forces; and the memory of the oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin’s armed rebellion was still fresh. Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025 Kemp quashed the rebellion after his allies in the Legislature argued that Pathways needed more time to prove itself. Margaret Coker, ProPublica, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rebellion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rebellion
Noun
  • The date of the revolt, September 23rd, has become an important date for sympathizers of the pro-independence movement.
    Juan J. Arroyo, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025
  • The revolt has raised questions about what lies ahead for the country and region.
    Nick Caruso, TVLine, 10 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The mug shot has become one of the most infamous photos of the president and is a symbol of defiance for both Trump and his supporters.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025
  • In response, Trump's administration has launched investigation against four of those states – California, Minnesota, Massachusetts and Maine – over potential Title IX violations for their continued defiance of the order.
    Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • More recently, in March 2024, his court issued a unanimous decision blocking state-level efforts to bar Trump from the ballot under the Constitution’s insurrection clause—a ruling that secured Trump’s path to renomination.
    Nik Popli, TIME, 19 Mar. 2025
  • The Department of Justice expunged the January 6th insurrection from its website, and whitehouse.gov took down an explainer page about the Constitution.
    Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Karla Jay remembers joining the second night of street protests during the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City.
    Orion Rummler, Them, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Egypt’s military governments have long been deeply distrustful of Islamist movements, notably the homegrown Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, and Sisi himself came to power in a military coup against a Muslim Brotherhood president who was elected after the uprising of 2011.
    Lisa Anderson, Foreign Affairs, 14 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • This isn’t a flippant analogy; during the Indian mutiny of 1857, British soldiers looted the Taj Mahal, removing rare gems and lapis lazuli.
    Ralph Leonard, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2025
  • Death in a hail of bullets has been used to punish mutinies and desertion in armies, as frontier justice in America’s Old West, and as a tool of terror and political repression in the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.
    Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Alleging disobedience, among other claimed doctrinal infractions, the OCA excommunicated the Homyks and longtime parish council leader Rivera.
    Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2025
  • Pardons have sometimes been used in the past — in some cases wisely, in others not — to turn the page on divisive episodes of civil disorder and disobedience.
    The Editors, National Review, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The level of disrespect and dishonesty has left me feeling there would be no way to ever trust or feel emotionally safe around my sister.
    R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2025
  • This isn’t to say Kate’s disrespect to her husband was appropriate.
    R. Eric Thomas, The Denver Post, 13 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rebellion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rebellion. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on rebellion

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!