1
a
: opposing or taking arms against a government or ruler
b
: of or relating to rebels
the rebel camp
2
rebelled; rebelling
1
a
: to oppose or disobey one in authority or control
b
: to renounce and resist by force the authority of one's government
2
a
: to act in or show opposition or disobedience
rebelled against the conventions of polite society
b
: to feel or exhibit anger or revulsion
rebelled at the injustice of life
Synonyms
Examples of rebel in a Sentence
Adjective
today's rebel chefs feel free to ignore the dictates of classic French cuisine
Noun
The government captured six armed rebels.
He was a rebel against the school administration.
He is a typical teenage rebel.
Verb
When the government imposed more taxes, the people rebelled.
The protesters are rebelling against the new tax law.
Children often rebel against their parents.
Recent Examples on the Web
Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
As rebel fighters closed in on Damascus, Trump himself nodded to the Kremlin’s narrowing range of options in a post on social media.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
Sarah El Deeb, arkansasonline.com, 10 Dec. 2024
As Bashar al-Assad's government collapsed and Syrian rebels rose to power, Israel embarked on an extensive bombing campaign, purportedly aimed at disarming extremists who may rise to power during the unrest.
—Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Nicole Fell, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Nov. 2024
According to Guerrero's biography, Miller, a contrarian by nature, began rebelling early against the liberal bent of his family, hometown and high school.
—Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rebel 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Adjective
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a rebel force and former al-Qaeda affiliate, captured Damascus on Saturday night.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
As rebel fighters closed in on Damascus, Trump himself nodded to the Kremlin’s narrowing range of options in a post on social media.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
At the Court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said Sunday that judges were ready to resume work quickly.
—Sarah El Deeb, arkansasonline.com, 10 Dec. 2024
As Bashar al-Assad's government collapsed and Syrian rebels rose to power, Israel embarked on an extensive bombing campaign, purportedly aimed at disarming extremists who may rise to power during the unrest.
—Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
Elphaba and Glinda, who spent the first act and film becoming friends against all odds, go their separate ways as Elphaba chooses to rebel against the Wizard and Glinda stays behind.
—Nicole Fell, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Nov. 2024
According to Guerrero's biography, Miller, a contrarian by nature, began rebelling early against the liberal bent of his family, hometown and high school.
—Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for rebel
Dictionary Entries Near rebel
Cite this Entry
“Rebel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rebel. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
rebel
1 of 3 adjective
reb·el
ˈreb-əl 
1
: being or fighting against one's government or ruler
2
: not obeying
rebel
2 of 3 noun
: a person who refuses to give in to authority
rebel
3 of 3 verb
re·bel
ri-ˈbel
rebelled; rebelling
1
: to be against or fight against authority and especially the authority of one's government
2
: to feel or show anger or strong dislike
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