1
as in deserter
a person who abandons a cause or organization usually without right
an apostate from communism, he later became one of its harshest critics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in traitor
one who betrays a trust or an allegiance
became an apostate to liberalism after he had gotten wealthy
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in renegade
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 apostate
Andrew L. Peek, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2016
Liz Cheney, the former Republican congresswoman from Wyoming and an ardent conservative, is an apostate for modern times.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 10 Dec. 2023
The latter — driven by an apocalyptic, millenarian creed — had embarked on a frenzy of killing, torture, grisly execution and abductions of civilians from communities of supposed apostates and enemies.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
Moribund groups have sputtered to life, former brothers-in-arms have declared one another apostates, and erstwhile hunters of jihadists have joined their ranks.
—Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017
See all Example Sentences for apostate 
Noun
If the conflict in Syria is a religious war against apostates rather than a geopolitical scuffle, more militants will be drawn toward the conflict and away from the crown.
—Andrew L. Peek, Foreign Affairs, 7 Mar. 2016
Liz Cheney, the former Republican congresswoman from Wyoming and an ardent conservative, is an apostate for modern times.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 10 Dec. 2023
The latter — driven by an apocalyptic, millenarian creed — had embarked on a frenzy of killing, torture, grisly execution and abductions of civilians from communities of supposed apostates and enemies.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 25 Oct. 2023
Moribund groups have sputtered to life, former brothers-in-arms have declared one another apostates, and erstwhile hunters of jihadists have joined their ranks.
—Foreign Affairs, 15 Aug. 2017
See all Example Sentences for apostate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apostate
Noun
-
According to some reports, defectors and deserters have been burned or frozen to death in Iraq.—
Mara R. Revkin,
Foreign Affairs,
1 May 2016
-
Go way back to President Lincoln, who made hard decisions himself about deserters from the Army, things like that.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Anyone who refuses to label a traitor to the U.S. as a traitor is completely unqualified to lead our intelligence community.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
31 Jan. 2025
-
Senator Michael Bennet, D-Colo., hammered Gabbard on her refusal to characterize Snowden as a traitor.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA TODAY,
31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Indeed, the most compelling wines of the Vin de France share some version of a renegade origin story: Landmark wines rejected by an AOC due to petty bureaucratic technicalities.—
Anna Lee C. Iijima,
Bon Appétit,
22 Jan. 2025
-
Brutality, complicated by a Mormon militia and some renegade Shoshone warriors.—
Daniel Fienberg,
The Hollywood Reporter,
9 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
However, the rebels continue to launch attacks aimed at Israel, which has vowed to retaliate against Houthi leadership in the event of further aggression.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
20 Jan. 2025
-
The four female protagonists in Nails rebel against society’s expectations of them with consequences for themselves and family and friends.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The potential members of a schismatic Catholic sect are located in areas of the world such as the United States, where the church has significant financial resources and assets, plus a wide array of independent Catholic institutions that operate largely outside the hierarchy of the church.—
Massimo Faggioli,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Oct. 2018
-
But Barzani’s setback only birthed a schismatic new cadre of Kurdish leaders.—
Behnam Ben Taleblu,
Foreign Affairs,
8 Nov. 2017
Noun
-
As was the case in the Middle East and Afghanistan, ISIS' West Africa Province (ISWAP) cultivated local partnerships by capitalizing on existing conflicts between government forces and insurgents, including Nigeria's powerful Boko Haram, to establish itself as a major player in the region.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
-
After the election, Craig, who is 52 and was first elected in 2018, took on the old guard again, launching an insurgent challenge against two much more senior, septuagenarian lawmakers to be the top Democrat on the Agriculture Committee.—
Scott Wong,
NBC news,
31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Lenders typically require a 620 for conventional loans, although Bank of America does accept nontraditional forms of credit for conventional, FHA and VA loans.—
Kelsey Neubauer,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2025
-
Leavitt began the press briefing by mentioning the rising impact of podcasters and nontraditional media outlets during the 2024 campaign season.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Despite many challenges like reducing oil dependency, ensuring political stability amid sectarian divides and managing environmental crises, the Sudani government must focus on protecting the state.—
James Durso,
The Hill,
16 Jan. 2025
-
Armed Shi’ite and Sunni Muslims have engaged in tribal and sectarian rivalry for decades over a land dispute in Kurram district near the Afghanistan border.—
Reuters,
NBC News,
24 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near apostate
Cite this Entry
“Apostate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apostate. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share