rebel
noun
a person who refuses allegiance to, resists, or rises in arms against the government or ruler of their country.
had rebelled
-
past perfectof rebel.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Consumers had rebelled against the chain over rising costs of its food, with images of an $18 Big Mac combo meal sold in Connecticut going viral in 2023.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
Prior to their suspensions, all four MPs had rebelled against the government on several occasions.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2025
Although it stated “all persons held as slaves . . . henceforward shall be free,” the proclamation was limited in effect to the states that had rebelled.
From Textbooks ● Jul. 28, 2021
The daughter of strict, successful parents, she had rebelled as a teen by going “party girl” and spending a lot of time online.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 3, 2019
Soon after her entry into the King’s lab, she had rebelled against its hierarchical character, taking offense because her first-rate crystallographic ability was not given formal recognition.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
