as in rebellion
refusal to obey laws as a way of forcing the government to do or change something
In an act of civil disobedience, the family sent its tax money to an antiwar organization. A student organization is encouraging civil disobedience as a way to get the university to change its policies.
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Recent Examples of civil disobedience
Graffitiing the church over its support of the state of Israel is not civil disobedience, Whelchel said.
—
Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2025
In what circumstances could civil disobedience ever be justified if not now?
—Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025
With every new wave of protest, every strike, and every act of civil disobedience, the regime's response is not reform, but repression.
—Tom Ridge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
That act of civil disobedience led to her disbarment, said her brother, Steve Ward of St. Paul’s East Side.
—Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil disobedience
Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2025
In what circumstances could civil disobedience ever be justified if not now?
—Dan Sheehan, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025
With every new wave of protest, every strike, and every act of civil disobedience, the regime's response is not reform, but repression.
—Tom Ridge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
That act of civil disobedience led to her disbarment, said her brother, Steve Ward of St. Paul’s East Side.
—Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 19 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for civil disobedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil disobedience
Noun
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In small towns and farm communities across Illinois, a quiet rebellion is taking shape.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
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The daughter of a severely disapproving dentist (Ulrich Tukur) who witnessed World War II from the heart of Germany and still seems to think that women’s lib is the worst thing that’s ever happened to his country, Vera is a perfect vessel for rebellion.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Smoking that cigarette is his last attempt at defiance.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
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But with a ceasefire in place, Hamas quickly moved to quash defiance, aiming to cement the authority denied to them in the nascent agreement.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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While declarations have been made in the past regarding our city having a sanctuary status, there have been no clear directives toward local law enforcement regarding noncooperation with federal agencies such as ICE.—
Scott Wartman,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
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These movements used many different tools at their disposal — lawsuits, mass rallies, strikes, work slowdowns, boycotts and other forms of noncooperation and resistance.—
David Brooks,
Mercury News,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Civil disobedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20disobedience. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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