as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
the junior officer was court-martialed for being insubordinate
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as in rebel
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insubordinate
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
In a coastal town on the Gulf of Mexico lives the insubordinate Daniel, the owner of a small motel.
—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
If a Texas sheriff is insubordinate or doesn't comply with SB 8, the attorney general has the authority to file a court order and face potential legal penalties.
—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Dec. 2025
Weiss' defenders have blasted the show's staff as insubordinate and misdirected.
—
Arkansas Online,
26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insubordinate
Adjective
No one’s arc is insubordinate; no one’s emotional logic is insignificant.
—
Literary Hub,
24 Feb. 2026
In a coastal town on the Gulf of Mexico lives the insubordinate Daniel, the owner of a small motel.
—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
If a Texas sheriff is insubordinate or doesn't comply with SB 8, the attorney general has the authority to file a court order and face potential legal penalties.
—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Dec. 2025
Weiss' defenders have blasted the show's staff as insubordinate and misdirected.
—
Arkansas Online,
26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insubordinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insubordinate
Adjective
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To promote the new launch, the duo teamed up on a campaign captured on the streets of Paris by photographer Daniel Roché, with the aim of creating a series of images that reflects the fusion of youth culture and a cool, rebellious edge, Asics said.
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The last of the rebellious slaveholding states was finally under federal control.
Noun
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Well after the first Darfur war had faded from headlines, this duo continued to put down rebel groups throughout the country through brutal methods.
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Finding an off-ramp is increasingly becoming necessary for GOP leadership as House rebels threaten to shut down the floor in the absence of a path forward.
Adjective
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To a defiant Son, however, the party hasn’t even started.
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Terri Hupfer, draped in a Pride flag and a Giants’ issued Pride T-shirt, drove 90 minutes from her Delta home to join Tuesday’s pregame gathering, which was organized online and drew more media and police than defiant (or supportive) fans.
Noun
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But what local powers must be surrendered to the insurgent American collectivity?
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The province has been the center of a long-running separatist insurgency, with insurgents demanding independence or greater control over local resources.
Noun
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In his most recent outing, Kape knocked out former UFC flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval in December.
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The mayor has used his political capital instead to back challengers who, by definition, can deliver less federal funding.
Noun
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Clemson resister Dabo Swinney has driven his program into the ground.
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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.
Noun
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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.
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Language purists like to remind anyone who will listen that decimation actually means the slaughter of one in ten people, and was the military punishment wielded by the Roman army against deserters and mutineers.
Noun
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Insubordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insubordinate. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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