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
But service members are allowed to disobey unlawful orders—and they could even be prosecuted for carrying out patently unlawful orders, such as war crimes.
—
Chantelle Lee, Time, 25 Nov. 2025
An order requiring the performance of a military duty or act may be inferred to be lawful and it is disobeyed at the peril of the subordinate.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2025
But most personnel already understand the duty to disobey obvious illegality—and reminding them of it nudges more of them toward lawful behavior when the stakes are at their most extreme.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Illinois State Police cited him on suspicion of disobeying a police officer – a petty offense punishable by a fine – Cook County court records show, and is scheduled to appear in court November 25.
—Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disobey
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Chantelle Lee, Time, 25 Nov. 2025
An order requiring the performance of a military duty or act may be inferred to be lawful and it is disobeyed at the peril of the subordinate.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2025
But most personnel already understand the duty to disobey obvious illegality—and reminding them of it nudges more of them toward lawful behavior when the stakes are at their most extreme.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
Illinois State Police cited him on suspicion of disobeying a police officer – a petty offense punishable by a fine – Cook County court records show, and is scheduled to appear in court November 25.
—Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disobey
Cite this Entry
“Disobey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disobey. Accessed 30 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
disobey
verb
dis·obey
ˌdis-ə-ˈbā
: to refuse, neglect, or fail to obey
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share