as in deserter
a person who abandons a cause or organization usually without right
the defector demanded political asylum in exchange for information about his nation's spying operations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defector
Noun
-
But the group also used it as a tool of execution against deserters, inadvertently showcasing the brittleness of a regime that had to use fear to motivate even its mercenary soldiers to stay in the fight.—
Nicolas Niarchos,
New York Times,
13 May 2025 -
Meanwhile, Byrd’s wide dramatic palette and flexible voice make the most of thankless roles as the movement’s deserter and Montgomery’s white power brokers.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
Young-il’s brother is still searching for the island — but a traitor on the boat is preventing the detective from reaching the game site.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
-
Meanwhile, Jun-ho continues his search for the island on which the Squid Games are taking place - but there's a traitor amongst his team.—
Griff Griffin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
And, of course, my fantasy went right to some kind of renegade character along the lines of Saw Gerrera.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
16 May 2025
-
The director Doris Wishman was a renegade: a woman who made lurid exploitation films at a time when American underground cinema was a man’s playground.—
Erik Piepenburg,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
Noun
-
The Houthis paused attacks until the U.S. launched a broad assault against the rebels in mid-March.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
8 July 2025
-
Shortly after that, Israeli airstrikes on Iranian weapons shipments to Hezbollah across neighboring Syria — at the time, a key ally of Iran — weakened the dictatorship of President Bashar al-Assad, who was overthrown last December by rebels.—
James Hider,
NPR,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
Prod: María Isabel Páramo, Iván García) One of the biggest swings among BAM projects, set in 1996 Colombia, as the country succumbs to bloody insurgent warfare.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
15 July 2025
-
Delegates followed that recommendation, rejecting a number of insurgent candidates.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
11 July 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Defector.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defector. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share