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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

insubordinate

2 of 3

noun (1)

as in rebel

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

insubordination

3 of 3

noun (2)

as in rebellion
refusal to obey was fired for chronic insubordination

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
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
Noun
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 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
  • Andrew Garfield is not just a rebellious peasant in his upcoming action period drama.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Green and Perry starred alongside one another on the hit Fox series, in which Green portrayed the aspiring musician David Silver while Perry starred as the rebellious Dylan McKay, for 10 years from 1990 to 2000.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of rebellious
Noun
  • In her 1974 novel The Hearing Trumpet, a nonagenarian vegetarian heroine named Marian rebels against patriarchal institutions.
    — Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Al-Sharaa ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 in an offensive led by HTS rebels.
    — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of rebel
Adjective
  • Serbia, which backed the Bosnian Serbs during the war, is formally seeking European Union entry but remains defiant over its war role.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Striking a defiant tone at a time when the future of the gallery ecosystem remains unknown, David Nolan announced a move for his namesake gallery from New York’s Upper East Side to a bigger space in Tribeca.
    — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of defiant
Noun
  • The insecurity landscape is also more chaotic because some groups, after initially being invited to help defend against insurgents, turned into terrorists, said Dengiyefa Angalapu, an analyst at the Center for Democracy and Development in Abuja.
    — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The intervention underscores Russia’s new role as protector of military regimes across the Sahel, where Africa Corps has replaced Wagner and prioritizes keeping juntas in power over battling insurgent groups.
    — Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of insurgent
Noun
  • Mills lost his bid for another term when he was defeated last month by a GOP primary challenger.
    — Claudia Grisales, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Democratic challengers call for generational change Moulton has framed his challenge against Markey around generational change since the beginning.
    — Margie Cullen, USA Today, 1 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 5 Sep. 2026.

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