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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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 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

Andrew Garfield is not just a rebellious peasant in his upcoming action period drama.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Green and Perry starred alongside one another on the hit Fox series, in which Green portrayed the aspiring musician David Silver while Perry starred as the rebellious Dylan McKay, for 10 years from 1990 to 2000.

— Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 25 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

Efforts to bring the outbreak under control — from limited public gatherings to social distancing and airport closures — have disrupted life in the six provinces, particularly Ituri, which also has been ravaged by rebel violence.

— Constant Same Bagalwa, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Efforts to bring the outbreak under control — from limited public gatherings to social distancing and airport closures — have disrupted life in the six affected provinces, particularly Ituri, which has been ravaged by rebel violence.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 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

Adjective

Captured after years on the run and sentenced to life in 2017, Mladic remained defiant and unrepentant, still revered by some Serbs as a nationalist hero.

— Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Bringing it on board with the White House’s latest effort to subdue an Iranian leadership stubbornly defiant after almost six months of war, however, is an extremely tall order.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of defiant

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

The insecurity landscape is also more chaotic because some groups, after initially being invited to help defend against insurgents, turned into terrorists, said Dengiyefa Angalapu, an analyst at the Center for Democracy and Development in Abuja.

— Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026
The intervention underscores Russia’s new role as protector of military regimes across the Sahel, where Africa Corps has replaced Wagner and prioritizes keeping juntas in power over battling insurgent groups.

— Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of insurgent

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“Recusant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recusant. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of recusant

adjective

noun

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