as in rebel
someone who tries to overthrow or undermine a governing power
They were outted as subversives and exiled from the country.
Related Words
Relevance
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.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 subversive
Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Instead, the stylish couple spent the construction years combing through vintage markets, building a concept that’s classic, but singular and a little subversive.
—Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2026
On November 25, 1947, a majority of Hollywood top brass met at the Waldorf Astoria in New York and drafted the notorious Waldorf Statement that promised no studio would employ anyone who was a communist or suspected subversive.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
Loners lashing out America has had genuine subversives and left-wing terror networks in the past.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025
An obsession with Perfidia Beverly Hills (a magnetic Teyana Taylor), the animating figure behind a militant organization called the French 75 and the most stunning subversive to flaunt an automatic weapon while heavily pregnant.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
To dissidents, she has been seen as a hero putting her life on the line; to Modi’s supporters, as a dangerous subversive who is anti-national and anti-Hindu.
—Anderson Tepper, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2025
André's chaotic talk show, The Eric Andre Show (2012–2023), established the actor and comedian as a true subversive, which makes his turns in projects such as The Lion King (2019) and Trolls Band Together (2023) that much more amusing.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
That made the length of some of Puth’s selections Wednesday seem almost subversive at times.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
In an evening thick with outrage and protest and war and death and rebellion, the most subversive moment in Bruce Springsteen’s concert in Sunrise on Thursday had nothing to do with politics.
—Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Hoja has a subversive relationship to military and political authority as well.
—Perin Gürel, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
Likewise, David Rockwell’s set, an elegant Art Deco dining and drawing room where much of the action unfolds, provides a stylish backdrop to the proceedings, while the chandelier that soars over the stage also serves as a sight gag that ends the show on a slyly subversive note.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
The Onion, now under the ownership of tech exec Jeff Lawson, has been rebooting itself in a bid to return to its subversive comedy roots.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2026
But a subversive tradition took hold in the early nineteen-seventies, coinciding with the heyday of Saturday-morning cartoons and children’s educational television.
—Elise Broach, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Their influence was, in its way, subversive.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
Noun
The seamless integration of old and new feels stealthy, and a touch subversive, a doubling-down on the museum’s approach to time as nonlinear, sinuous and delightfully slippery.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Instead, the stylish couple spent the construction years combing through vintage markets, building a concept that’s classic, but singular and a little subversive.
—Regan Stephens, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2026
On November 25, 1947, a majority of Hollywood top brass met at the Waldorf Astoria in New York and drafted the notorious Waldorf Statement that promised no studio would employ anyone who was a communist or suspected subversive.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2025
Loners lashing out America has had genuine subversives and left-wing terror networks in the past.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025
An obsession with Perfidia Beverly Hills (a magnetic Teyana Taylor), the animating figure behind a militant organization called the French 75 and the most stunning subversive to flaunt an automatic weapon while heavily pregnant.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
To dissidents, she has been seen as a hero putting her life on the line; to Modi’s supporters, as a dangerous subversive who is anti-national and anti-Hindu.
—Anderson Tepper, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2025
André's chaotic talk show, The Eric Andre Show (2012–2023), established the actor and comedian as a true subversive, which makes his turns in projects such as The Lion King (2019) and Trolls Band Together (2023) that much more amusing.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Such politicians viewed literature as subversive, irritatingly highbrow, and—like socialism—suspiciously European.
—Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026
That made the length of some of Puth’s selections Wednesday seem almost subversive at times.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
In an evening thick with outrage and protest and war and death and rebellion, the most subversive moment in Bruce Springsteen’s concert in Sunrise on Thursday had nothing to do with politics.
—Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Hoja has a subversive relationship to military and political authority as well.
—Perin Gürel, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
Likewise, David Rockwell’s set, an elegant Art Deco dining and drawing room where much of the action unfolds, provides a stylish backdrop to the proceedings, while the chandelier that soars over the stage also serves as a sight gag that ends the show on a slyly subversive note.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
The Onion, now under the ownership of tech exec Jeff Lawson, has been rebooting itself in a bid to return to its subversive comedy roots.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 20 Apr. 2026
But a subversive tradition took hold in the early nineteen-seventies, coinciding with the heyday of Saturday-morning cartoons and children’s educational television.
—Elise Broach, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Their influence was, in its way, subversive.
—Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subversive
Noun
-
Rwanda frames its role as defensive measures to protect its territory from Hutu rebels responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The series emphasizes hope and the power of collective action, providing a nuanced look at both the rebels and the individuals within the Empire, ultimately highlighting the enduring relevance of its themes of oppression and resistance in today’s world.—
Brande Victorian,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Opponents will learn about his violent play style very quickly.—
Dane Brugler,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The government actually deported more than six hundred and seventy-five thousand people, but getting just to that number involved broad and violent sweeps and the expulsion of people who were in the country legally, actions that led to widespread protests.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Kidal's capture in a similar militant-insurgent alliance over a decade ago was at the root of the security crisis that has shaken Mali.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Mali has faced years of escalating insurgent violence; the ruling military junta, which pledged to restore stability in a 2020 coup, turned to Russia for assistance in its counterinsurgency campaign.—
Lauren Morganbesser,
semafor.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
From Nasser to Khomeini, the region’s revolutionary ideologies have delivered only ruin.—
Danielle Pletka,
Washington Post,
1 May 2026
-
The Orient Express may be synonymous with luxury train travel, but 140 years on from its revolutionary rail venture, the company is launching an opulent sailing yacht named the Orient Express Corinthian.—
Emma Clarke,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This year, that has translated into a theme of anarchism through mutual cooperation, inspired by the Russian anarchist Peter Kropotkin.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
-
What began seven years ago as a freewheeling alt-country outlet for Max Bottner, formerly of Indiana egg-punks Liquids and the anarchist hardcore band Side Action, eventually expanded to a full band.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Subversive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subversive. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
