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insubordination

noun

Definition of insubordinationnext
as in rebellion
refusal to obey was fired for chronic insubordination

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 insubordination In Fernández’s version, Antíkona’s insubordination inspires a peoples’ rebellion and brings an end to Klion’s rule due to his inability to treat citizens with common decency. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026 Hubbard says they could be accused of insubordination or unprofessionalism. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 31 Aug. 2026 The trio accused the US Department of Defense of charging them with insubordination for publicly supporting that editorial independence in covering the agency, which partly funds the publication. — Liam Reilly, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026 The Defense Department delivered termination notices last week to Stars and Stripes Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin, publisher Max Lederer and Middle East reporter Lara Korte, accusing them of insubordination. — Joe Walsh, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026 Quarantine orders are met with wholesale insubordination, and the government begins to ratchet its way to full martial law. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026 Williamson later ran afoul of the SSPX, which expelled him in 2012 for insubordination. — ABC News, 1 July 2026 Lugo also had filed insubordination charges against him. — Rafael Carranza, ProPublica, 25 June 2026 King fired Saulter from the sheriff’s department in May of this year over accusations of insubordination. — Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insubordination
  1. rebellion
  2. defiance
  3. disobedience
  4. rebelliousness
  5. disrespect
Noun
  • It’s also brilliantly written as a futile, pathetic rebellion by men with zero agency or purpose in their own lives.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026
  • In Fernández’s version, Antíkona’s insubordination inspires a peoples’ rebellion and brings an end to Klion’s rule due to his inability to treat citizens with common decency.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of rebellion
Noun
  • Her Easter Sunday performance at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 in front of 75,000 spectators remains a touchstone of defiance in an age of racial violence.
    — Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Her decision to so publicly criticize him was a rare instance of GOP defiance, especially in her district, which Trump carried by more than a dozen points two years ago.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of defiance
Noun
  • After federal prosecutors and defense attorneys had presented all their evidence Tuesday, Morrow’s attorneys asked Orso to dismiss the three petty charges accusing her of obstruction, disruption and disobedience.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Another child said he was forced to carry out artillery strikes and beaten for disobedience.
    — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of disobedience
Noun
  • Whether writing five decades ago or today, the genre’s most insightful commentators have always observed how punk fuses rebelliousness with commodification, capitalism with resistance.
    — Kyle Devine, Longreads, 14 July 2026
  • Marji’s rebelliousness, both admirable and terrifying for those who love her, is her salient characteristic.
    — Hillary Chute, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
Definition of rebelliousness
Noun
  • The board's vague message didn't point to specific administrators or specific instances of disrespect.
    — Aubrey Wright, IndyStar, 11 Sep. 2026
  • No disrespect to the players themselves, Burns said, but Dallas showing that level of concern this close to the start of the season is noteworthy.
    — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of disrespect

Browse Nearby Words

insubordinates
insubordination
insubstantial
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Cite this Entry

“Insubordination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insubordination. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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