as in deserters
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
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Recent Examples of defectors
There were a couple of unexpected Senate Republican defectors, people like Todd Young and Josh Holly, who voted to advance a resolution, one of these War Powers Resolutions to halt hostilities in Venezuela.
—
Dana Taylor, USA Today, 1 May 2026
South Korean officials confirmed details of Kim’s defection, and his descriptions of hardships faced by North Koreans mirror numerous accounts defectors shared with CNN.
—Mike Valerio, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2026
Evangelicals have mostly stuck by Trump, even with prominent defectors such as Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore and New York Times columnist David French railing against widespread Christian support for the president, given his personal life and tendency to make incendiary statements.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2026
One of those defectors referenced Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in his decision.
—Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
One of those defectors referenced Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as helping in his decision.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
But passing the bill will require almost unanimous support among congressional Republicans to get through, and only a few defectors could sink it.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 3 Apr. 2026
Israel’s assassination campaign sometimes complicated Chalker’s attempts to recruit defectors.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Parties have mostly voted in blocks on major issues in recent years, with small numbers of defectors increasingly rare.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 27 Mar. 2026
Dana Taylor, USA Today, 1 May 2026
South Korean officials confirmed details of Kim’s defection, and his descriptions of hardships faced by North Koreans mirror numerous accounts defectors shared with CNN.
—Mike Valerio, CNN Money, 19 Apr. 2026
Evangelicals have mostly stuck by Trump, even with prominent defectors such as Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore and New York Times columnist David French railing against widespread Christian support for the president, given his personal life and tendency to make incendiary statements.
—W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 19 Apr. 2026
One of those defectors referenced Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in his decision.
—Rob Gillies, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
One of those defectors referenced Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as helping in his decision.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
But passing the bill will require almost unanimous support among congressional Republicans to get through, and only a few defectors could sink it.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 3 Apr. 2026
Israel’s assassination campaign sometimes complicated Chalker’s attempts to recruit defectors.
—David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Parties have mostly voted in blocks on major issues in recent years, with small numbers of defectors increasingly rare.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defectors
Noun
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Harry Truman granted amnesty to certain World War II deserters, while Jimmy Carter granted pardons to hundreds of thousands of individuals who dodged the draft during the Vietnam War.—
Stewart Ulrich,
The Conversation,
15 Dec. 2025
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More important, though, is the fact that the judge who posited that hordes of deserters could follow Vovchenko’s example seems to be overstepping his role.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The president has spent a decade calling his rivals communists and traitors, among other hyperbolic insults.—
Jonathan Chait,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Military culture is fiercely self-protective, and soldiers who criticize it are usually treated as traitors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The rebels attempting to take over Mali are said to be jihadists from the Nusrat al-Islam (GSIM/JNIM) linked with the tribesmen of the FLA and other groups, including at least one linked with Islamic State.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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Security is a major concern for mining companies looking to enter DR Congo and has held back the development of extractive industries in Africa’s second-largest nation by land mass, which for years has fought rebels in the east of the country.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That song’s twangful snarl — wonderfully sung by Clark, a star recording artist in her own right — is a reminder that these insurgents are also preservationists, capable of delivering old-fashioned pleasures to please the purists.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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Since insurgents ousted former President Bashar Assad in December 2024, dozens of members of his security agencies that were blamed for atrocities during the conflict have been arrested.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The men who once styled themselves renegades increasingly resembled every other hyper-online young guy—gaming, memeing, trading.—
Clara Molot,
Vanity Fair,
17 Mar. 2026
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But in order to remain a meaningful platform for creative renegades, the festival needs to also take risks.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defectors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defectors. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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