DEFECTOR Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

defector

noun

Definition of defector

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

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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 defector Its policy is to accept and support defectors from North Korea; more than 34,000 have arrived since the end of the Korean War. — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 29 Sep. 2026 The South legally regards the North as part of its territory and has a policy of accepting and financially supporting North Korean defectors. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026 South Korean research has documented possible signs of radiation exposure in defectors from North Korea who lived near the test site, but scientists said the cause remains unclear. — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2026 But the new work found that if the rewards change with time (even by a small amount), then a second stable point emerges from the model, allowing both cooperators and defectors to coexist. — Chris Lee, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026 Mateen Bhaghani, another Golden Bear defector, converted a 38-yard field goal and the UCLA lead was 24-17 at the half. — Jeff Faraudo, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2026 Sources include defectors, informants and individuals who remain embedded within movements while passing information to outsiders. — Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026 Anthropic, founded by OpenAI defectors, is now expected to be the first of the two companies to go public, two people familiar with its plans say, with the IPO as early as September. — Alex Heath, Time, 26 Aug. 2026 The documentary tracks students at the Jangdaehyun School in Busan, South Korea – an institution serving North Korean defectors and their families. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 18 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defector

Noun

And within his own country’s history, particularly, Dhont discovered the fates that met would-be deserters who were caught — brutal sentences often leading to death.

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026
The love story of a Confederate deserter (Jude Law) journeying back to his North Carolina home and his love (Nicole Kidman) drives the Civil War drama.

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 7 Mar. 2026

Definition of deserter

Noun

Abraham and Szor, both Israeli filmmakers, have been denounced as traitors in Israel, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself has threatened to revoke their citizenship.

— Justin Chang, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
Over in Norway, drama series Rinnan, about the infamous Norwegian traitor and Gestapo agent Henry Rinnan, is also set to launch.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of traitor

Noun

Niger’s ruling junta survived its most serious internal challenge since the 2023 coup after renegade soldiers mutinied in Niamey and Russian Africa Corps fighters helped presidential guards retake a key airbase.

— Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
In some ways, there is a strange kind of unity to these three—all are set during the Depression, all feature stylish renegades.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of renegade

Noun

The rebels have also intensified their attacks across the border into Saudi Arabia, attacking its oil facilities and preventing its tankers from passing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, through which around 12% of global trade passes.

— Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
While the British prevailed over the rebels, the uprising laid the foundations for African nationalism.

— Chinatsu Tsuji, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of rebel

Noun

They’re seen as oligarchs, as the people with wealth and power, controlling our lives—not as outsider insurgents.

— Nicholas Lemann, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026
Others look further back to early and sporadic insurgent activity in 1964, before the UDI, or to 1965, the year of the UDI (November 11) itself.

— Chinatsu Tsuji, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of insurgent

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“Defector.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defector. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of defector

noun

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