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
as in rebel
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in rebellion
refusal to obey
was fired for chronic insubordination
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
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
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
Adjective
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This could bring about sudden ideas, or trigger rebellious impulses and creative imagination.
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In 2000 at age 15, he was sent to live in Australia with a host family because his father thought Zhang was too rebellious to stay in China.
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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Femi was defiant as he was interviewed in the ring following his victory.
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Laurie Whitwell Were South Africa unlucky after defiant defensive display?
Noun
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Gray is endorsed by Kansas City’s branch of the Democratic Socialists of America, and represents the insurgent left flank of the Democratic Party in the race.
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Out went what was left of country-club Republicanism; in came the Fifth Avenue insurgent and his MAGA hordes.
Noun
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Her victory over leftist challenger Roberto Sánchez marks her fourth presidential bid and makes her Peru’s first female president-elect.
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Republican Mark Baisley didn't face a challenger for the GOP nomination and will face Hickelooper in the November general election.
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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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.
Noun
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Thomas Hobbes took a very dim view of rebels and insurrectionists.
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The recipients will almost surely be insurrectionists and other allies.
Cite this Entry
“Insubordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insubordinate. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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