1
as in deserter
a person who abandons a cause or organization usually without right an apostate from communism, he later became one of its harshest critics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in traitor
one who betrays a trust or an allegiance became an apostate to liberalism after he had gotten wealthy
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in renegade
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 apostate
Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025 In Iran, Baha’is are considered to be apostates and face persecution, marked by extreme violence including extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary detention. —Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025 On the walls, someone had spray painted graffiti calling Alawites dogs and apostates. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2025 As the developed north lectures this new generation of Latin American leaders to abide by neoliberal, democratic norms and isolating apostates, China and Russia are all too willing to provide an alternative. —Christopher Sabatini, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2022 See All Example Sentences for apostate
Noun
The first such, that of John McCain, in September of 2018, felt like a meeting of the resistance, a clarion call to take up arms where the late senator, another Republican who turned apostate rather than submit to Trump, had left them on the field. —Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2025 In Iran, Baha’is are considered to be apostates and face persecution, marked by extreme violence including extrajudicial killings, torture, and arbitrary detention. —Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025 On the walls, someone had spray painted graffiti calling Alawites dogs and apostates. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2025 As the developed north lectures this new generation of Latin American leaders to abide by neoliberal, democratic norms and isolating apostates, China and Russia are all too willing to provide an alternative. —Christopher Sabatini, Foreign Affairs, 31 Aug. 2022 See All Example Sentences for apostate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for apostate
Noun
-
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
-
This notably happened during the Civil War with enlistment bounties to track down deserters.— Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
As the castle’s internal order collapses under the weight of a string of baffling crimes, Araki strikes a fragile alliance with Kuroda Kanbei – a razor-minded captive languishing in his own dungeon – in a race to root out a traitor before Oda’s army closes in.— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
-
In the context of his time, Jesus was considered a traitor — an enemy of the Roman Empire.— Michael J Christensen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Then there’s Schiaparelli’s approach to work, which was renegade, and highly collaborative.— Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2026
-
Set 500 years in the future, Whedon's original series followed a renegade crew aboard the transport ship Serenity.— Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Julian is both old and a devout rebel, with a lifetime’s worth of wisdom, wit and burned bridges in his arsenal.— Lindsey Bahr, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
-
Why isn’t Homelander lasering these rebels immediately?— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Given that Pakistan is home to over 20 million Shia Muslims—the second largest cohort in the world after Iran—open warfare with the only nation with more would be schismatic internally.— Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 Apr. 2026
-
Such was the case this past weekend, when tens of millions of fans keyed in on the denouement of the college basketball season at the expense of lesser spectacles such as spring football and one notoriously schismatic pro golf startup.— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
But Fuqua’s Hannibal is recognizably Black—an African insurgent taking on a European empire.— Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
-
That year, Ukraine elected a Western-leaning government, preceding Russia’s seizure of the Crimean Peninsula and arming of insurgent groups to occupy parts of the industrialised east of the country.— Colin Millar, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Anna reactivates her zest for cooking when Matteo’s father unexpectedly must drop out of cooking the final meal at the local summer festival, with Anna moving to prepare a nontraditional pot of shrimp and grits to the unexpected glee of those who’re tasting it.— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 9 Apr. 2026
-
The exhibition, which celebrates Stearns’ residency at the UC Botanical Garden, reveals how Stearns inspires the ecosystems of art and science through a nontraditional artistic practice.— Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The film explores the iconic partnership between Fonteyn, a 42-year-old prima ballerina and Britain’s most famous dancer, and Rudolf Nureyev, the 23-year-old rebellious Soviet defector who became her partner on stage (and, it was rumored, off it as well).— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2026
-
Nureyev is 23, a rebellious Soviet defector — magnetic, explosive, unstoppable.— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Apostate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/apostate. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
