as in rebellion
refusal to obey
they gave up on training the dog to fetch because of his constant disobedience
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disobedience
Cromwell described the cooperation and disobedience of a gaggle of ducks, sheep, border collies, horses and other farm animals (most of which were real despite one animatronic sheep and some puppets) behind the scenes of the heartwarming film.
—
Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 21 July 2025
Thanks to that act of disobedience, the document is now preserved at Fort Ligonier.
—Aurora Martínez, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 July 2025
And why is the punishment for disobedience akin to literal torture?
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 July 2025
Will the Ruska Roma turn on one of its own for disobedience?
—ArsTechnica, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for disobedience
Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 21 July 2025
Thanks to that act of disobedience, the document is now preserved at Fort Ligonier.
—Aurora Martínez, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 July 2025
And why is the punishment for disobedience akin to literal torture?
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 July 2025
Will the Ruska Roma turn on one of its own for disobedience?
—ArsTechnica, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for disobedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disobedience
Noun
-
In small towns and farm communities across Illinois, a quiet rebellion is taking shape.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
-
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
-
Smoking that cigarette is his last attempt at defiance.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
-
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
-
Either of these original conditions would compel us to curb our aspirations to self-making, self-saving, and self-liberation as harmful forms of willfulness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
-
While this change reduces the explicit admission of willfulness, a narrative is still required.—
Virginia La Torre Jeker,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The performance goes from fiery to ineffectual as DiCaprio’s character, Bob, loses his youthful rebelliousness in a haze of pot and resignation.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The rebelliousness can be witnessed in everything from its ’70s-in-California style to the very naming conventions Mother chooses for its viral products — adored by A-listers like Gigi Hadid, Chrissy Teigen, Millie Bobby Brown, and more.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Footwear News,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disobedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disobedience. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share