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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Coupled with the music, the bites have a sense of rebellion, but this isn’t outright middle finger food.—
Colin Wrenn,
Denver Post,
3 June 2026
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As Season 2 unfolds, the two young couples will be tested and separated once again by forces beyond their control, as every clan chooses a side in the rebellion.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
1 June 2026
Noun
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From Stonewall’s 1969 uprising to today’s golf tournaments, human rights summits and bar crawls, Pride events in Los Angeles, New York and global cities mix festival energy with defiance.—
Geoff Mulvihill,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2026
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Tensions escalated when Tigray held regional elections in defiance of thata federal delay, leading to a political standoff that erupted into a civil war in November 2020.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
31 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 10 Jun. 2026.
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