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
Since then, photos and videos from the act of civil disobedience have spread widely across social media — amplified by others who share a similar frustration and unease about the country's military action.
—
Juliana Kim, NPR, 24 Apr. 2026
Because civil disobedience and peaceful protest are relatively inexpensive and not as risky as violent resistance.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2026
Groups of British Chagossians have lately engaged in acts of civil disobedience to reassert a right to return to the outer Chagos islands, but as British citizens living under British law on British soil.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
People are protesting in freezing conditions and committing civil disobedience, getting arrested.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil disobedience
Juliana Kim, NPR, 24 Apr. 2026
Because civil disobedience and peaceful protest are relatively inexpensive and not as risky as violent resistance.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 16 Apr. 2026
Groups of British Chagossians have lately engaged in acts of civil disobedience to reassert a right to return to the outer Chagos islands, but as British citizens living under British law on British soil.
—David Frum, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
People are protesting in freezing conditions and committing civil disobedience, getting arrested.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil disobedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil disobedience
Noun
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The rebellion stems from Labor’s heavy losses in local elections last week and widespread party frustration over Starmer’s leadership, stagnant economic growth and failure to deliver on campaign promises.—
Danica Kirka,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
On the internet, masculinism is presented as a rebellion—a transgressive middle finger to the liberal establishment, expressed in all the words a corporate HR department would order you not to say.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Noun
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His campaign is built around an appeal to mainstream Republicans, swing voters and old-school conservatives who see his defiance of Trump in 2020 as a mark of independence rather than betrayal.—
Joe Kovac,
AJC.com,
12 May 2026
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Despite that effort, Hoskins and other Republican statewide officials enacted the map in defiance of decades of precedent.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
12 May 2026
Noun
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In accordance with the county’s noncooperation policy, the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office, which oversees the county’s jail, did not honor a 2023 federal detention request to hold Jalloh in pretrial detention until ICE could assume custody.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Apr. 2026
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Boycotts are a form of mass noncooperation that enables more people to resist without taking time off from work, engaging in confrontation or risking arrest.—
David Cortright,
The Conversation,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Civil disobedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20disobedience. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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