1
as in stubborn
given to resisting control or discipline by others
a headstrong child who likes to test the limits of his parents' patience
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in adamant
sticking to an opinion, purpose, or course of action in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion
the tenants of the building remain headstrong in their determination not to be evicted by the developer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of headstrong
The jukebox musical uses nearly two dozen ABBA tunes to tell the story of a young woman named Sophie (Amy Weaver), who was raised by her headstrong single mother Donna (Christine Sherrill) on a whimsical Greek island.
—
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
His evocation of the sights, sounds, and even smells of Victorian London was as gripping as his psychological portrait of the brilliant and bizarre Thomas de Quincey and his tender relationship with his headstrong and independent daughter Emily.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2025
The drama follows Veneno (played by non-pro Víctor Miguel), a headstrong young drifter who survives by seducing truck drivers at 24-hour roadside diners called cachimbas.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 25 Aug. 2025
Monk is 27 years old and is under contract on a manageable deal through 2028 (the last year is a $21.6 million player option), so the fact that Sacramento is so headstrong on jettisoning Monk for a much older, declining player in Westbrook is strange.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for headstrong
Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025
His evocation of the sights, sounds, and even smells of Victorian London was as gripping as his psychological portrait of the brilliant and bizarre Thomas de Quincey and his tender relationship with his headstrong and independent daughter Emily.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2025
The drama follows Veneno (played by non-pro Víctor Miguel), a headstrong young drifter who survives by seducing truck drivers at 24-hour roadside diners called cachimbas.
—Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 25 Aug. 2025
Monk is 27 years old and is under contract on a manageable deal through 2028 (the last year is a $21.6 million player option), so the fact that Sacramento is so headstrong on jettisoning Monk for a much older, declining player in Westbrook is strange.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for headstrong
Recent Examples of Synonyms for headstrong
Adjective
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Month over month, that would be the same stubborn pace that has persisted for more than two years.—
Steve Kopack,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
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Results show that microbial iron mining can immobilize toxic metals and convert stubborn pollutants into less harmful compounds.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Back in January 2024, when Sportico was first to report on Florida State’s conversations with Sixth Street and Arctos Partners, many around the process were adamant to point out that those conversations were private credit (or private capital), not private equity.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
22 Oct. 2025
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Giuffre was adamant that the pain, including several attempts at suicide in the past few years, was part of her story.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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According to the researchers, teenage men tend to favor intense, rebellious genres that fuel identity and independence in a phase that peaks early.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
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But the couple have yet to conceive an heir, so when Jerome absconds and his dashing friend Manfred (Galitzine) arrives with dastardly intentions, Hero (Corrin), Cherry’s wily and loyal maid, is forced to concoct a plan to distract Manfred by telling captivating stories about rebellious women.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The spokesperson said that an immigration judge had terminated his permanent resident status and ordered his removal on June 23, 2022, citing fraud and willful misrepresentation.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
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Tessa Thompson stars as the willful heroine, married to a rather meek academic, George Tesman (Tom Bateman), who’s angling for an important university position.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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What’s curious, then, is not Trump’s eagerness to degrade us, but his uncontrollable urge to defile himself and his office.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
23 Oct. 2025
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When he was hired, Hazimeh told supervisors he had been diagnosed with anxiety, resulting in an uncontrollable nervous tic.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Fortunately, many of us live in communities of fellow pet lovers who are willing and ready to keep an eye out for wayward animals.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
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Tennessee’s big cats are mostly of the bobcat variety, but one wayward mountain lion captured the state’s attention.—
Mackensy Lunsford,
Nashville Tennessean,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Headstrong.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/headstrong. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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