disobey
verb
dis·obey
ˌdis-ə-ˈbā 
-ō-
disobeyed; disobeying; disobeys
: to be disobedient
: to fail to obey
disobeyer
noun
Examples of disobey in a Sentence
If you disobey, you will be severely punished.
The soldier disobeyed the general's orders.
He was afraid to disobey his father.
The driver had disobeyed the law.
Recent Examples on the Web
Another case in point: in the 1973 war, an IDF commander named Ariel Sharon disobeyed orders by leading his troops across the Suez Canal and into Egyptian territory.
—
Shashank Joshi, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Nor does a state have the power to disregard or disobey a U.S. Supreme Court order.
—Erwin Chemerinsky, The Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2024
Latifa’s supporters, however, released videos that the princess had recorded in secret, accusing her father of torturing, imprisoning, and murdering those who disobeyed him, especially women.
—Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2023
New Hampshire disobeyed the DNC by scheduling its Democratic primary before the other 49 states (the DNC previously announced that South Carolina was chosen to be the first Democratic primary-voting state in 2024).
—Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 23 Jan. 2024
Unfortunately, in some cases, children can be cited with curfew violations without intending to break the law or disobey their parents.
—Eshaan Sarup, The Arizona Republic, 13 Jan. 2024
Last summer, she was fined by a Swedish court for disobeying police and blocking traffic during an environmental protest at an oil facility.
—TIME, 2 Feb. 2024
The Supreme Court responded forcefully in Cooper vs. Aaron, holding that states have no right to disobey federal court orders in an opinion signed by all nine justices.
—Erwin Chemerinsky, The Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2024
On June 20, Dean Hoffmann was placed in administrative housing — also known as solitary confinement or segregation — for disobeying orders and refusing to lock up in his cell, records show.
—Journal Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2024
Shashank Joshi, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Nor does a state have the power to disregard or disobey a U.S. Supreme Court order.
—Erwin Chemerinsky, The Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2024
Latifa’s supporters, however, released videos that the princess had recorded in secret, accusing her father of torturing, imprisoning, and murdering those who disobeyed him, especially women.
—Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2023
New Hampshire disobeyed the DNC by scheduling its Democratic primary before the other 49 states (the DNC previously announced that South Carolina was chosen to be the first Democratic primary-voting state in 2024).
—Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 23 Jan. 2024
Unfortunately, in some cases, children can be cited with curfew violations without intending to break the law or disobey their parents.
—Eshaan Sarup, The Arizona Republic, 13 Jan. 2024
Last summer, she was fined by a Swedish court for disobeying police and blocking traffic during an environmental protest at an oil facility.
—TIME, 2 Feb. 2024
The Supreme Court responded forcefully in Cooper vs. Aaron, holding that states have no right to disobey federal court orders in an opinion signed by all nine justices.
—Erwin Chemerinsky, The Mercury News, 1 Feb. 2024
On June 20, Dean Hoffmann was placed in administrative housing — also known as solitary confinement or segregation — for disobeying orders and refusing to lock up in his cell, records show.
—Journal Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disobey.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near disobey
Cite this Entry
“Disobey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disobey. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
disobey
verb
dis·obey
ˌdis-ə-ˈbā
: to refuse, neglect, or fail to obey
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