saboteur

noun

sab·​o·​teur ˌsa-bə-ˈtər How to pronounce saboteur (audio)
-ˈtu̇r,
-ˈtyu̇r
: one that practices sabotage

Examples of saboteur in a Sentence

The car's tires were slashed by saboteurs.
Recent Examples on the Web As Billings finalized the package, six Nazi saboteurs in America were executed. Tom Stanton, Detroit Free Press, 11 Feb. 2024 Some are surely saboteurs, though, as recent revelations have confirmed. Michael McCaul, National Review, 7 Feb. 2024 The rugged, mountainous terrain that Leonidas had used so well nearly 2,500 years earlier quickly drew the eyes of these audacious saboteurs. Myke Cole and Michael Livingston, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Feb. 2024 Fans labelled the orcas’ behavior as anti-colonial protest or anti-capitalist direct action, and pledged solidarity with the ocean’s saboteurs. Rachel Riederer, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2023 Both appear in the new trailer PEOPLE can also exclusively debut for the psychological reality competition series, which challenges contestants to sniff out the secret saboteurs among them in an effort to win $250,000. Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 14 Jan. 2024 No literary justice here: the saboteurs live on to fight another day, unpunished. Christopher Ketcham, Harper's Magazine, 1 Nov. 2023 The Russian Black Sea Fleet first deployed bottlenose dolphins in Sevastopol back in 2018, apparently as a defense against Ukrainian saboteurs. David Axe, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 In fact, she’s done all kinds of spy-like work and knows a thing or two about uncovering saboteurs. Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'saboteur.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from saboter

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of saboteur was in 1921

Dictionary Entries Near saboteur

Cite this Entry

“Saboteur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saboteur. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

saboteur

noun
sab·​o·​teur ˌsab-ə-ˈtər How to pronounce saboteur (audio)
-ˈt(y)u̇(ə)r
: a person who performs sabotage

More from Merriam-Webster on saboteur

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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