as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
the disobedient child refused to eat his vegetables
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Recent Examples of disobedient
Fed Up in Illinois Dear Fed Up: Is Edie mean, arrogant, disobedient and rude in the presence of her parents, or has she been invited to spend time with your girls separately?
—
Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2025
When Ballard was asked at the end of the season why Richardson needed to be demoted for the stakes of his job to finally sink in, the GM compared his QB’s behavior to that of a disobedient child.
—James Boyd, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Sadly, they’re sometimes used because a guardian thinks the dog is being willfully disobedient, rather than examining the underlying issue that’s creating the problem behavior (for example, lack of training or not meeting the dog’s exercise or emotional needs).
—Dawn Kovell, The Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2025
Snooping parents, disobedient children.
—Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disobedient
Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2025
When Ballard was asked at the end of the season why Richardson needed to be demoted for the stakes of his job to finally sink in, the GM compared his QB’s behavior to that of a disobedient child.
—James Boyd, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Sadly, they’re sometimes used because a guardian thinks the dog is being willfully disobedient, rather than examining the underlying issue that’s creating the problem behavior (for example, lack of training or not meeting the dog’s exercise or emotional needs).
—Dawn Kovell, The Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2025
Snooping parents, disobedient children.
—Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disobedient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disobedient
Adjective
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Mexican music has always been rock-ish in spirit — sincere, rebellious, a direct message that invites you to rebel against the world.—
Ernesto Lechner,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2025
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Strahovski shares details about her character’s state of mind the moment when everything changed with a bold and rebellious move, after finding love again with Commander Wharton (Josh Charles), below.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
22 June 2025
Adjective
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Tucked in a corner of the dining room is what Price claims is the last photo ever taken of the rebel abolitionist John Brown, set in an ornate and rusted frame.—
Kevin Lozano,
New Yorker,
6 July 2025
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The bill passed in a vote Tuesday night but only after steep concessions to rebel lawmakers who opposed cuts to disability benefits.—
Chloe Taylor,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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Pride celebrations are typically a daylong mix of jubilant street parties and political protest, but this year’s iterations took a more defiant stance as Republicans, led by President Trump, have sought to roll back LGBTQ+ rights.—
Philip Marcelo,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
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Mamdani’s outspoken support for Palestinian causes was a point of tension in the mayor’s race as Cuomo and other opponents sought to label his defiant criticism of Israel as antisemitic.—
Philip Marcelo,
Fortune,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disobedient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disobedient. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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