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insubordinate 1 of 2

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

insubordinate

2 of 2

noun

as in rebel

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Dissimilar Words

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
What is supposed to be a brief stay is extended when Pepper is deemed insubordinate by the cold and menacing staff. — Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026 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 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 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
  • Vivienne Westwood, who died in 2022, helped define the punk fashion movement and became internationally known for rebellious designs that challenged conventional ideas of fashion and style.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Emma and Lizzie belong to a wealthy New England family and were once close, but as Lizzie and her rebellious housemaid Bridget Sullivan (Vicky Krieps) become deeply entangled, their relationship strains.
    — Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of rebellious
Noun
  • The charges stemmed from fighting more than a decade ago between the predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels who seized power from then-President François Bozizé, and a mainly Christian militia called the anti-Balaka.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 24 Sep. 2026
  • In the south, an array of militias and armed groups arose over the years, ostensibly to back the government against the rebels.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of rebel
Adjective
  • His music was defiant and bombastic, and critics and fans alike regarded him as a kind of pop messiah.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The defiant speech by President Masoud Pezeshkian marked a striking instance of a foreign leader addressing the world body while their country is at war with the host nation.
    — Farnoush Amiri, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of defiant
Noun
  • The latest operation came just over a week after Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti ruled out negotiations with insurgents and said security operations would continue until militancy was eliminated from the province.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Hundreds joined the insurgents that day, and their numbers soon swelled into the thousands.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of insurgent
Noun
  • Dereck Counter is the incumbent, while Jacob Boyce is the challenger.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Security is another top-of-mind issue that favors the challenger, who has promised an approach modeled after El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele.
    — Andre Pagliarini, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 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
  • Analysts say the clashes at the Base 101 at the Niamey international airport could have gone either way because of the mutineers’ determination and large numbers until the Russian troops stepped in.
    — Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The fate of the mutineers was not immediately clear and authorities did not disclose any charges against them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 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

Browse Nearby Words

instruments
insubordinate
insubordinates
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Cite this Entry

“Insubordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insubordinate. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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