as in traitor
one who betrays a trust or an allegiance
the plot of the story revolved around the gangster's relentless determination to learn the identity of the turncoat
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Recent Examples of turncoat
In his first interview since the tragic events in May, Cacique, a Spanish nickname given to a local boss, said the turncoats hoped to receive a reward for the capture of Robert Colina, whose alias was Pantera, Spanish for panther.
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Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
President Abraham Lincoln called on state militias at the outset of the Civil War to help in fighting Confederate turncoats to the South.
—Alana Wise, NPR, 21 Aug. 2025
The turncoats are John Hannah, Biggie Munn, Bo Schembechler and Burt Smith.
—Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 9 July 2025
Some have likened Barrett to the late Justice David Souter, who was appointed by Republican President George H.W. Bush and later branded a turncoat.
—Devin Dwyer, ABC News, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for turncoat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for turncoat
traitor
Noun
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Hemphill spoke alongside former Capitol police officer Winston Pingeon, who described being punched in the face, pepper sprayed, and called a traitor by the rioters.—
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The J6ers were not insurrectionists, traitors, and miscreants but patriots, heroes, and innocents.—
Cite this Entry
“Turncoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/turncoat. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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