saboteurs
Intentional operation wreckers
Saboteurs are people who commit sabotage—deliberately destroying, damaging, or obstructing something.
The term often applies to wartime operatives who disable enemy infrastructure: Allied saboteurs blew up the railway bridge.
It extends to anyone who undermines an effort from within: Budget saboteurs in Congress blocked the bill.
The word carries implications of stealth and treachery.
Secret intelligence gatherers
- agentsThose who act for others
- infiltratorsThose entering by stealth
- operativesThose who execute missions
- molesBurrowing insectivore mammals
undercover · intelligence · covert · resistance · partisans · clandestine · handlers · cells
Political objectors
- activistsPeople working for causes
- subversivesThose undermining established systems
- revolutionariesThose seeking systemic overthrow
- agitatorsThose who incite disturbance
rebels · insurgents · anarchists · plotters · conspirators · coup · overthrow · underground
Weakening by covert means
- molesBurrowing insectivore mammals
- leakersThose who reveal secrets
- whistleblowersThose exposing organizational misconduct
- insidersThose with special access
betrayal · competitors · rivals · obstruction · interference · dysfunction · toxic · manipulation
Those who cease work
- workersPeople doing jobs
- unionJoining into one
- machineryCollective mechanical equipment
- wrenchesTools for turning fasteners
production · factory · disruption · slowdown · equipment · damage · vandalism · Luddites
Unauthorized computer system intruders
- cyberattacksMalicious digital intrusions
- malwareHarmful computer programs
- virusesSubmicroscopic infectious particles
- breachesBreaks or violations
systems · networks · infrastructure · ransomware · phishing · exploits · backdoors · firewalls
spies
Secret intelligence gatherers
- agentsThose who act for others
- infiltratorsThose entering by stealth
- operativesThose who execute missions
moles · undercover · intelligence · covert · resistance · partisans · clandestine · handlers · cells · networks
dissidents
Political objectors
- activistsPeople working for causes
- subversivesThose undermining established systems
- revolutionariesThose seeking systemic overthrow
agitators · rebels · insurgents · anarchists · plotters · conspirators · coup · overthrow · underground · propaganda
undermining
Weakening by covert means
- molesBurrowing insectivore mammals
- leakersThose who reveal secrets
- whistleblowersThose exposing organizational misconduct
insiders · betrayal · competitors · rivals · obstruction · interference · dysfunction · toxic · manipulation · backstabbing
strikers
Those who cease work
wrenches · production · factory · disruption · slowdown · equipment · damage · vandalism · Luddites · mills
hackers
Unauthorized computer system intruders
- cyberattacksMalicious digital intrusions
- malwareHarmful computer programs
- virusesSubmicroscopic infectious particles
breaches · systems · networks · infrastructure · ransomware · phishing · exploits · backdoors · firewalls · encryption
- espionagespy, spies, double agent, double agents, spying
- resistanceresistance, defiance, resistance fighters, civil resistance, resist
- revolutionariesrevolutionaries, revolutionary, rebel, rebels, Lenin
- foxhuntingfoxhound, foxhounds, tally ho, tally-ho, huntsman
- Soviet RepressionStalin, NKVD, gulag, gulags, Great Purge
- enemiesenemy, foe, foes, adversary, nemesis
saboteursbuilders
Those who construct things
supporters · constructors · creators · contributors · benefactors
saboteursloyalists
Faithful to established authority
patriots · defenders · supporters · devotees · true believers
saboteursbuilders
Those who construct things
repairers · fixers · constructors · maintainers · creators