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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defector
Noun
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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The Houthis paused attacks until the U.S. launched a broad assault against the rebels in mid-March.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
8 July 2025
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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
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The warning issue June 11 said terrorist and insurgent groups regularly attacked Iraqi security forces and civilians and anti-U.S. militias threatened U.S. citizens and international companies.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
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The Iranian regime has held Americans hostage and supported terrorists and insurgents who have killed U.S. service members in Lebanon and Iraq.—
Reid Smith,
Foreign Affairs,
18 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Defector.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defector. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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