as in rebellion
refusal to obey
they gave up on training the dog to fetch because of his constant disobedience
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disobedience
On Wednesday, dissident artists Pussy Riot stormed the Russian pavilion while waving Ukrainian flags and calling for disobedience.
—
News Desk,
Artforum,
6 May 2026
Fernando Melo Flores, a 40-year-old Irvine resident, was charged with one felony count of possession of child pornography, one felony count of unauthorized computer access, and one misdemeanor count of willful disobedience of a court order.
—
Ryanne Mena,
Oc Register,
14 Apr. 2026
Others mistakenly describe these acts as flakiness, disobedience, laziness, or personal failure in the absence of context.
—
Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone,
Kansas City Star,
10 Apr. 2026
His smile, coyly upturned at the corners, gives the impression of a patriarch who would resort to violence at the first sign of disobedience.
—
Alex Shams,
Time,
14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disobedience
News Desk,
Artforum,
6 May 2026
Fernando Melo Flores, a 40-year-old Irvine resident, was charged with one felony count of possession of child pornography, one felony count of unauthorized computer access, and one misdemeanor count of willful disobedience of a court order.
—
Ryanne Mena,
Oc Register,
14 Apr. 2026
Others mistakenly describe these acts as flakiness, disobedience, laziness, or personal failure in the absence of context.
—
Gretchen Wittenmyer-Stone,
Kansas City Star,
10 Apr. 2026
His smile, coyly upturned at the corners, gives the impression of a patriarch who would resort to violence at the first sign of disobedience.
—
Alex Shams,
Time,
14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disobedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disobedience
Noun
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The Battle of the Alamo was one of the most monumental conflicts of the Texas Revolution, a rebellion that ended in Texas becoming independent from Mexico and establishing itself as a republic for nearly a decade before US statehood.
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In the press release for the album, you were quoted using the word rebellion when talking about rock and roll.
Noun
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His clippings included reporting on Black students facing higher rates of suspension for willful defiance and a cover story on Oak Park residents who offered a history of the neighborhood.
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One defendant convicted by a jury continues to engage in noisy defiance.
Noun
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Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.
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Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.
Noun
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Marji’s rebelliousness, both admirable and terrifying for those who love her, is her salient characteristic.
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The pseudo-goth hair and costume choices speak to an inner rebelliousness that isn’t so much unleashed as forced loose by a system that values the appearance of a mythical impartiality over her humanity, leaving her with little recourse but to step outside the confines of the law.
Cite this Entry
“Disobedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disobedience. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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