RECUSANT Synonyms: 141 Similar and Opposite Words

recusant 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of recusant

as in rebellious

given to resisting authority or another's control several recusant senators refused to vote as commanded by the party leadership

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recusant

2 of 2

noun

as in resister

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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 recusant

Noun

The uniform of the conformist — sports shirt, cardigan, tennis shoes — is as easily recognized as that of the recusant — dirty white T, sideburns, two days’ growth of beard. — Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, 15 July 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for recusant

Adjective

Its central character, Missie, a rebellious young woman who joins military intelligence, was inspired by Sue, who died in 2023 at age 99.

— Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Follow rebellious 16-year-old Holden Caufield to New York City in Catcher in the Rye, in a tale that will evoke both humor and empathy from readers in equal measure.

— Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of rebellious

Noun

In November 1971, Berkeley, California, became the first sanctuary city in the country when 12 local churches inspired the City Council to pass a resolution offering sanctuary to draft resisters.

— Menika Dirkson, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
Clemson resister Dabo Swinney has driven his program into the ground.

— Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of resister

Adjective

The outbreak is unfolding in some of the most challenging conditions imaginable, with rebel threats and intense population movements.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Trump has increasingly embraced Sharaa, the former commander of al Qaeda’s Nusra Front who broke ties with the global jihadist network in 2016 and led the rebel coalition that overthrew Assad.

— Reuters, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of rebel

Noun

Pitcairn Island Pitcairn is British Overseas Territory in the South Pacific that was famously born from the last refuge of the Bounty mutineers, who arrived in 1789 with a small company of Tahitians.

— Scott Laird, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 2026
Pitcairn is well-known as the island on which Fletcher Christian and other British mutineers from the HMS Bounty took refuge after the 1789 events that toppled Capt.

— Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026

Definition of mutineer

Noun

College sports’ current arms race of money, along with unrestricted transfers, is threatening to shut out rising challengers like UConn football, with rich teams now dangling lucrative offers and raiding talent like never before.

— U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026
David Roth, the Democratic candidate for Risch’s seat, dropped out of the race in July, leaving Achilles as Risch’s primary challenger.

— Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of challenger

Noun

Yesterday, in an effort to galvanize democratic forces, oppositionists announced the foundation of the Strategic Council of Republicans Inside Iran.

— Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 1 Mar. 2026
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is a Sunni Islamist umbrella group of oppositionist forces with ideological and organizational roots in al-Qaeda.

— Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024

Definition of oppositionist

Noun

Israel, meanwhile, has remained suspicious of the new authorities in Damascus, led by former Islamist insurgents.

— Andrew Wilks, Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2026
The win marks the latest example of an insurgent Democrat pulling off a victory in the primary over a more moderate opponent with a significant cash advantage.

— Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of insurgent

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“Recusant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recusant. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of recusant

adjective

noun

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