insubordinate 1 of 3

adjective

ˌin(t)-sə-ˈbȯr-də-nət How to pronounce insubordinate (audio)
Definition of insubordinatenext
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control the junior officer was court-martialed for being insubordinate

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

insubordinate

2 of 3

noun (1)

as in rebel

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Dissimilar Words

insubordination

3 of 3

noun (2)

as in rebellion
refusal to obey was fired for chronic insubordination

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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 insubordinate
Adjective
New research shows Hinton’s premonitions about the insubordinate streak of AI may already be a reality. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026 No one’s arc is insubordinate; no one’s emotional logic is insignificant. — Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
Assistant Superintendent Tony Poole is also leaving the district after he was suspended in February for alleged insubordination. — Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 4 June 2026 When creating their own version of the character, the developers at IOI sought to emphasize that insubordination as a gameplay tool, grounding it in this Bond’s age-specific propensities. — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for insubordinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insubordinate
  1. rebellious
  2. rebel
  3. defiant
  4. insurgent
  5. challenger
  6. resister
  7. mutineer
  8. recusant
Adjective
  • For seven seasons, a hodgepodge crew mixing Starfleet and the rebellious Maquis put aside their differences after they got zapped 70,000 lightyears away from Earth, deep into the uncharted Delta Quadrant.
    — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026
  • This could bring about sudden ideas, or trigger rebellious impulses and creative imagination.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Definition of rebellious
Noun
  • Mali’s junta has accused Algeria of backing local extremist rebels who are linked to the Muslim militant group al-Qaida.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
  • That was the year the United States went to war with Spain in Cuba alongside Cuban and Puerto Rican rebels and in the Philippines.
    — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of rebel
Adjective
  • This includes the iconic moment when the American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in a defiant Black Power salute during the US National Anthem at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.
    — James Rampton, TheWeek, 9 July 2026
  • Platner’s defiant departure on Wednesday raised doubts that Democrats could unify behind a replacement, threatening their chances of taking control of the Senate in the midterm elections.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of defiant
Noun
  • But Democratic leaders fear that the insurgent candidates risk blowing winnable races for Democrats with messages considered too radical for most voters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
  • Across the country, insurgent candidates-—-perhaps most notably Zohran Mamdani in New York City—have found traction by presenting themselves as unapologetic fighters willing to challenge both Republicans and their own party’s leadership.
    — Nik Popli, Time, 8 July 2026
Definition of insurgent
Noun
  • Season 42 continues on Tuesday with Caleb Groen returning as champion to face two new challengers.
    — USA TODAY Staff, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • Minogue’s Republican primary challenger Brian Shortsleeve finished with $63,000 raised.
    — Tim Dunn, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026
Definition of challenger
Noun
  • In November 1971, Berkeley, California, became the first sanctuary city in the country when 12 local churches inspired the City Council to pass a resolution offering sanctuary to draft resisters.
    — Menika Dirkson, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Clemson resister Dabo Swinney has driven his program into the ground.
    — Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Definition of resister
Noun
  • Pitcairn is well-known as the island on which Fletcher Christian and other British mutineers from the HMS Bounty took refuge after the 1789 events that toppled Capt.
    — Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
  • Or an historian of Polynesian culture giving a lecture about tattooing, or the time Captain Bligh stopped on the atoll to look for the mutineer Fletcher Christian.
    — Antonia Quirke, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
Definition of mutineer
Noun
  • The uniform of the conformist — sports shirt, cardigan, tennis shoes — is as easily recognized as that of the recusant — dirty white T, sideburns, two days’ growth of beard.
    — Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, 15 July 2019
Definition of recusant

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Cite this Entry

“Insubordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insubordinate. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of insubordinate for Spanish Speakers

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