subversive 1 of 2

noun

Definition of subversivenext
as in rebel
someone who tries to overthrow or undermine a governing power They were outted as subversives and exiled from the country.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

subversive

2 of 2

adjective

as in violent
seeking to overthrow or undermine a governing power A subversive organization determined to unseat a leader who they believed operated outside the law.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for subversive
  1. rebel
  2. violent
  3. insurgent
  4. revolutionary
  5. anarchist
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
Adjective
  • The abuse and neglect have long-lasting effects on an already vulnerable population and have even led to the conviction of some employees for violent crimes, the report says.
    Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
  • Edward Kelley, 35, was found guilty in US District Court in Tennessee of conspiracy to murder federal employees, solicitation of violent crime and threatening a federal official, the department said in a press release.
    Hanna Park, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
Definition of violent
Noun
  • Boko Haram is a Nigerian insurgent group that started fighting in 2009 to oppose Western education and impose their radical version of Islamic law.
    Matt Robison, Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Republicans didn't plan on spending millions of dollars to defend Senator Deb Fischer, but Osborne's insurgent campaign has taken off.
    ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2024
Definition of insurgent
Adjective
  • Carving a niche for itself in the crypto world, BNB Chain will continue to evolve with more advanced technologies and features, not merely as a crypto platform but as a revolutionary project in blockchain technology.
    Jon Stojan, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
  • For now, MicroStrategy’s approach highlights the power of bitcoin’s revolutionary properties and its potential to reshape global markets.
    Ansel Lindner, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
Definition of revolutionary
Noun
  • Their dilemmas evoke our disregard of the vacancy in Antifa anarchists and our encouragement of gender dysphoria.
    Armond White, National Review, 25 Sep. 2024
  • Oh, and Josh and CJ meet with some crazy mapmakers, and Toby hangs out with anarchists. 50.
    Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2024
Definition of anarchist
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near subversive

subversions

subversive

subversives

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Subversive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subversive. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on subversive

Nglish: Translation of subversive for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of subversive for Arabic Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...