APOSTATE Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

apostate 1 of 2

noun

ə-ˈpä-ˌstāt

Definition of apostate

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in traitor

one who betrays a trust or an allegiance became an apostate to liberalism after he had gotten wealthy

Synonyms & Similar Words

apostate

2 of 2

adjective

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

Noun

To tell Republicans this is to be an apostate. — Erick Erickson, Oc Register, 17 Feb. 2026 Despite its public split from al-Qaeda, HTS retains a Salafi-jihadist ideology rooted in the same intellectual tradition tracing back to Ibn Taymiyya's medieval fatwas on apostates and minorities. — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026 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 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 first homesteader was an army deserter from Fort Duchesne to the north.

— Erwin A. Bauer, Outdoor Life, 14 Oct. 2026
Intimate drama set in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, where a young Ukrainian deserter finds refuge with an elderly woman and forms an unlikely bond.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of deserter

Noun

Abby became suspicious of Kuehl during a private conversation about possible traitors in the group.

— Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of traitor

Noun

The latest conflict between the Saudis and the Houthis began last month after the rebels seized key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical waterway for oil shipments.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
The latest conflict between the Saudis and the Houthis began last month after the rebels seized key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical waterway for Gulf oil shipments.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of rebel

Adjective

Now there is a schismatic group, called the Mazoos (from Missouri) who say that seeing is, etc.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026
The Vatican said the consecrations, carried out without the pope’s approval and therefore in conflict with Catholic law, constituted a schismatic act that severed the society’s communion with Rome.

— Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026

Definition of schismatic

Noun

Raman, who now occupies the insurgent role in the race, seemed to see the fires less as an indictment of the system than of Bass.

— Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Rwanda has acknowledged defensive â€œsecurity coordinationâ€� with the M23 insurgents, who have held large swaths of mineral-rich eastern DR Congo for more than a year.

— Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of insurgent

Adjective

According to the Navy, this approach can help nontraditional defense companies move technologies from research and development toward procurement.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026
President Obama was accused of limiting access to independent photojournalists, and famously favored nontraditional media outlets at the advent of the social media age.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of nontraditional

Noun

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, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of defector

Browse Nearby Words

apostasy

apostate

apostates

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“Apostate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/apostate. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of apostate

noun

adjective

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