revolt

verb

re·volt | \ ri-ˈvōlt also -ˈvȯlt

revolted; revolting; revolts

Definition of revolt

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to renounce allegiance or subjection (as to a government) : rebel

2a : to experience disgust or shock

b : to turn away with disgust

transitive verb

: to cause to turn away or shrink with disgust or abhorrence

revolt

noun

Definition of revolt (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a renouncing of allegiance (as to a government or party) especially : a determined armed uprising

2 : a movement or expression of vigorous dissent

Other Words from revolt Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Revolution and Revolt Example Sentences Learn More about revolt

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Choose the Right Synonym for revolt

Noun

rebellion, revolution, uprising, revolt, insurrection, mutiny mean an outbreak against authority. rebellion implies an open formidable resistance that is often unsuccessful. open rebellion against the officers revolution applies to a successful rebellion resulting in a major change (as in government). a political revolution that toppled the monarchy uprising implies a brief, limited, and often immediately ineffective rebellion. quickly put down the uprising revolt and insurrection imply an armed uprising that quickly fails or succeeds. a revolt by the Young Turks that surprised party leaders an insurrection of oppressed laborers mutiny applies to group insubordination or insurrection especially against naval authority. a mutiny led by the ship's cook

Revolution and Revolt

Revolution and revolt have a shared origin, both ultimately going back to the Latin revolvere “to revolve, roll back.” When revolution first appeared in English in the 14th century, it referred to the movement of a celestial body in orbit; that sense was extended to “a progressive motion of a body around an axis,” “completion of a course,” and other senses suggesting regularity of motion or a predictable return to an original position. At virtually the same time, the word developed a sharply different meaning, namely, ”a sudden radical, or complete change,” apparently from the idea of reversal of direction implicit in the Latin verb. Revolt , which initially meant “to renounce allegiance,” grew from the same idea of “rolling back,” in this case from a prior bond of loyalty.

Examples of revolt in a Sentence

Verb

The group threatened to revolt. All the violence revolted me.

Noun

the revolt of the slaves The peasants' revolt was crushed by the king. The leader of the group called for revolt. Consumers are in revolt against high prices.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The Tories revolt against Johnson, and his ruthless purging of the rebels, are reverberating through British politics, threatening his hold on power. — Mark Landler, BostonGlobe.com, "Brexit uprising poses contrast to the GOP," 7 Sep. 2019 The Dolphins would 'revolt' if the organization traded offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil before Week 1, according to the Miami Herald's Adam H. Beasley. — Michael Shapiro, SI.com, "Report: Dolphins Players Will 'Revolt' if Team Deals Laremy Tunsil for Jadeveon Clowney," 29 Aug. 2019 When it was revealed that Google was working with the Department of Defense on drones through Project Maven, Google employees revolted, and the project was not renewed. — Kelsey Piper, Vox, "Death by algorithm: the age of killer robots is closer than you think," 21 June 2019 Alabama revolted and did the remarkable and unexpected: Voters elected the Republican, Guy Hunt — a farmer, Primitive Baptist minister and Amway salesman from Holly Pond. — al.com, "What’s it going to take, Alabama, to learn these are not your friends?," 5 June 2019 If lawmakers revolt, Parliament could order Mrs. May to go back and negotiate tweaks for the deal—or even vote for a second Brexit referendum. — Max Colchester, WSJ, "Now the Hard Part: Getting the Brexit Deal Through Parliament," 19 Nov. 2018 Rural lawmakers and farm groups revolted when the Obama administration tried to tighten some child labor rules to keep children away from manure pits and block them from driving tractors and other heavy equipment. — Jack Healy, New York Times, "5-Year-Olds Work Farm Machinery, and Injuries Follow," 29 Jan. 2018 When the current, seventh-generation Corvette ditched the round taillights for a more geometric look, some fans revolted. — David Welchbloomberg, Los Angeles Times, "Corvette courts Ferrari fans with a new mid-engine design change," 18 July 2019 In 2015, after Intuit required some users of TurboTax’s desktop version to pay to file previously included tax forms, customers revolted. — Justin Elliott, ProPublica, "Trump’s Tax Law Threatened TurboTax’s Profits. So the Company Started Charging the Disabled, the Unemployed and Students.," 16 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Qaddafi dispatched several thousand troops to crush the revolt. — Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, "The Moral Logic of Humanitarian Intervention," 9 Sep. 2019 The museum docent told us the story of New London’s role in the historic La Amistad slave revolt. — Pamela Wright, BostonGlobe.com, "Don’t overlook New London," 27 Aug. 2019 Khan Sheikhoun straddles a major north-south highway and has stood on the front line of the conflict throughout the eight-year revolt against Assad. — Washington Post, "Syrian military recaptures strategic town held by rebels as civilians flee," 23 Aug. 2019 In the end, Tehran blamed the U.S. for fomenting the revolt, while Republicans accused Obama of abandoning the protesters and American values. — Los Angeles Times, "Trump praises Chinese leader, not Hong Kong protesters seeking democratic reforms," 15 Aug. 2019 The course of events that reduced Syria to its present condition began in March 2011 when Syrians took their place in the great revolts sweeping Arab lands and marched against the tyranny of Bashar al-Assad. — Brian Stewart, National Review, "For Sama: A Chronicle of the Syrian Tragedy," 10 Aug. 2019 The first elected government after the revolt was led by Ennahda, a moderate Islamist party. — The Economist, "Tunisians say goodbye to President Beji Caid Essebsi," 1 Aug. 2019 Just like the plot of every science fiction movie in the history of ever before the robots revolt or the humans left responsible for the robots go mad with power. — Khadrice Rollins, SI.com, "Robot Umpires Put Us One Step Closer to the Robot Revolution Sci-Fi Movies Warned Us Of," 23 July 2019 When 48 slaves aboard La Amistad staged a revolt, taking over the ship, the US Navy intercepted it and brought it to New London. — Pamela Wright, BostonGlobe.com, "Don’t overlook New London," 27 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'revolt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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revolt

Definition of revolt

Other Words from revolt

Synonyms for revolt

Choose the Right Synonym for revolt

Revolution and Revolt

Examples of revolt in a Sentence

First Known Use of revolt

History and Etymology for revolt

revolt

Definition of revolt

Other Words from revolt

Synonyms for revolt

Choose the Right Synonym for revolt

Revolution and Revolt

Examples of revolt in a Sentence

First Known Use of revolt

History and Etymology for revolt

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