turncoats
Those who defect
Turncoats are people who switch allegiance, abandoning their original side to join the opposition.
The term carries strong disapproval—turncoats aren't just changing their minds but betraying former allies: The party's turncoats voted with the opposition on the spending bill.
The image is of someone literally turning their coat inside out to display different colors.
One who abandons allegiance
- betrayerOne who breaks allegiance
- quislingTreasonous occupation collaborator
- renegadeDeserter of a cause
- apostateOne who renounces faith
backstabber · double-crosser · informer · collaborator · Judas · deserter · rat · mole
Breaking of trust
- treasonBetraying one's nation
- perfidyDeliberate breach of trust
- double-crossTreacherous deception of partner
- seditionInciting revolt against government
subversion · sabotage · collusion · deception · duplicity · faithlessness · disloyalty · bad faith
Sudden change of position
- about-faceFull directional reversal
- volte-faceComplete reversal of opinion
- U-turnDirection-reversing driving maneuver
- switchCircuit-breaking toggle device
defection · recantation · apostasy · conversion · backtracking · pivot · realignment
Prone to fluctuation
- faithlessUntrustworthy, lacking loyalty
- disloyalUntrue to commitments
- unreliableNot consistently performing
- untrustworthyNot deserving of confidence
wavering · false · mercenary · opportunist · fair-weather · capricious · changeable · unprincipled
defector
One who abandons allegiance
- betrayerOne who breaks allegiance
- quislingTreasonous occupation collaborator
- renegadeDeserter of a cause
apostate · backstabber · double-crosser · informer · collaborator · Judas · deserter · rat · mole · spy
betrayal
Breaking of trust
- treasonBetraying one's nation
- perfidyDeliberate breach of trust
- double-crossTreacherous deception of partner
sedition · subversion · sabotage · collusion · deception · duplicity · faithlessness · disloyalty · bad faith · two-faced
flip-flop
Sudden change of position
- about-faceFull directional reversal
- volte-faceComplete reversal of opinion
- U-turnDirection-reversing driving maneuver
switch · defection · recantation · apostasy · conversion · backtracking · pivot · realignment
inconstant
Prone to fluctuation
- faithlessUntrustworthy, lacking loyalty
- disloyalUntrue to commitments
- unreliableNot consistently performing
untrustworthy · wavering · false · mercenary · opportunist · fair-weather · capricious · changeable · unprincipled · self-serving
- espionagespy, spies, double agent, double agents, spying
- covert operationsundercover agents, covert ops, stings, infiltration, deep cover
- insurgentsinsurgent, guerrillas, guerrilla, rebel, resistance fighters
- Military Desertiondeserter, desertion, AWOL, absconding, absconders
- organized crimemafia, mob, the mob, syndicate, crime syndicate
- treasontreason, high treason, sedition, state betrayal, betrayer