uncooperative
adjective
un·co·op·er·at·ive
ˌən-kō-ˈä-p(ə-)rə-tiv 
-ˈä-pə-ˌrā-
: marked by an unwillingness or inability to work with others : not cooperative
the suspect was uncooperative with investigators
an uncooperative witness
… he wonders whether it would be such a bad thing if their uncooperative nanny quit …—
Caitlin Flanagan
Caitlin Flanagan
also
: providing difficulty
struggled with an uncooperative corkscrew
uncooperative weather
Examples of uncooperative in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Police say Ashlee has been uncooperative in the investigation, but she has not been named a person of interest in the case and hasn't been charged with a crime in connection with Melodee's disappearance.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Timeline narrows window of disappearance With only years-old photos of Melodee and an allegedly uncooperative mother, officials are working with scant details about the young girl.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2025
With only years-old photos of Melodee and an allegedly uncooperative mother, officials are working with scant details about the young girl.
—Michelle Watson, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
Years ago, one of us was in the Bahamas chasing a typically uncooperative lizard across dense and narrow branches, frustrated that its nimble agility was thwarting efforts to catch it.
—James T. Stroud, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2025
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Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Timeline narrows window of disappearance With only years-old photos of Melodee and an allegedly uncooperative mother, officials are working with scant details about the young girl.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 27 Oct. 2025
With only years-old photos of Melodee and an allegedly uncooperative mother, officials are working with scant details about the young girl.
—Michelle Watson, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2025
Years ago, one of us was in the Bahamas chasing a typically uncooperative lizard across dense and narrow branches, frustrated that its nimble agility was thwarting efforts to catch it.
—James T. Stroud, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for uncooperative
Cite this Entry
“Uncooperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uncooperative. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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