rebel
noun
a person who refuses allegiance to, resists, or rises in arms against the government or ruler of their country.
rebelled
-
past participleof rebel.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof rebel.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
rebelnouna person who refuses allegiance to, resists, or rises in arms against the government or ruler of their country.
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.
Unlike the majority of his generational cohort, he never rebelled against the establishment that promoted it.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
One of the main reasons colonists rebelled against the crown was that they wanted more Indigenous land—they wanted to move farther west into North America, but the king was telling them no.
From Slate ● Jul. 3, 2026
Paraguay’s national anthem starts by stating that the people of the Americas were “oppressed for three centuries” until they rebelled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
Many Americans in this 250th year of independence will look back proudly on those colonials who rebelled against British taxation by dumping tea in Boston Harbor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026
I wait for him to absolve me of not remembering a mother who birthed me, a grandmother who saved me, friends who rebelled with me, and a suffocating fear I can’t name.
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
