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break ranks
Definition
› to publicly show disagreement or criticism of the group that you belong to: His medical colleagues advised him not to break ranks by talking about the hospital's problems to the newspapers.Disloyalty, betrayal and treason
(Definition of break ranks from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
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SMART Thesaurus: Disloyalty, betrayal & treason
Synonyms and related words:
- backstabber noun
- betrayal noun
- collaborate verb (SUPPORT AN ENEMY)
- collaboration noun (HELPING AN ENEMY)
- collaborationist adjective
- deserter noun
- desertion noun
- faithless adjective (NOT LOYAL)
- false adjective (NOT LOYAL)
- fifth column noun
- high treason noun
- infidelity noun
- sell sb down the river idiom
- sellout noun (BROKEN PROMISE)
- stab sb in the back idiom
- traitor noun
- treachery noun
- treasonable adjective
- un-American adjective
- unfaithful adjective
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