as in parochial
not broad or open in views or opinions
an insular community that is not receptive of new ideas, especially from outsiders
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Recent Examples of insular
Giving a quieter, more insular turn than those we’d been used to seeing from the movie star, Knightley revealed a sensitive new side to her.
—
Radhika Seth, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2025
That led to even more significant understaffing at the Newark approach control site, requiring airlines to delay or cancel hundreds of flights over the last week – and turning a situation that had been causing consternation in the insular air traffic controller community into a national headache.
—Casey Tolan, CNN Money, 7 May 2025
To overcome this blind spot, CEOs can intentionally break out of insular executive circles and recalibrate their understanding of today’s market realities.
—Joseph Santana, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Rich with nuance, passion and unforgettable characters, ‘Unaccustomed Earth’ invites you into the elite and insular Indian-American community of Cambridge, MA.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insular
Radhika Seth, Vogue, 26 Mar. 2025
That led to even more significant understaffing at the Newark approach control site, requiring airlines to delay or cancel hundreds of flights over the last week – and turning a situation that had been causing consternation in the insular air traffic controller community into a national headache.
—Casey Tolan, CNN Money, 7 May 2025
To overcome this blind spot, CEOs can intentionally break out of insular executive circles and recalibrate their understanding of today’s market realities.
—Joseph Santana, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Rich with nuance, passion and unforgettable characters, ‘Unaccustomed Earth’ invites you into the elite and insular Indian-American community of Cambridge, MA.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insular
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insular
Adjective
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It could not be fenced off and become a parochial one now.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
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Investors might want to be less parochial just as political policy becomes increasingly so.—
Ron Insana,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Instead, Atkinson took up golf for the first time and renewed his connection to scientific research, not the least of which was how a small white ball repeatedly avoids a hole in the ground.—
Barbara Bry,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2025
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The Court of International Trade previously rejected the small businesses' request to temporarily pause the tariffs while their lawsuit went forward, but then quickly scheduled Tuesday’s court hearing to decide whether to rule against the tariffs or impose a longer-term pause.—
Dietrich Knauth,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Each encounter brings four options for how to beat that opponent, a prime opportunity to make petty jokes.—
Jayna Bardahl,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
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As a result, defendants in Colorado’s municipal courts can face much longer sentences than those in state court for the same petty offenses, The Denver Post previously found.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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This was a narrow approach, aimed at providing vouchers for students in districts that were in receivership (a sort of financial takeover primarily for financial issues).—
Peter Greene,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
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Sherrill has held a consistent yet narrow lead in recent surveys.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insular.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insular. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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