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
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
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
  1. rebellious
  2. rebel
  3. defiant
  4. insurgent
  5. challenger
  6. resister
  7. mutineer
  8. recusant
Adjective
  • The inspiration behind this rock-and-roll icon, however, lies in Hindu spiritual symbolism, whose meanings contrast sharply with the rebellious image the logo projects.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 July 2026
  • Judy Davis stars as Sybylla, a rebellious young woman in 19th century Australia who longs to be a writer, but her traditionalist parents refuse to indulge those dreams, sending her to board with her wealthy grandmother instead.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026
Definition of rebellious
Noun
  • In one of the videos, the rebels were seen opening fire on some soldiers lying on the ground.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
  • Many rebels believed the burden of repaying the public debt fell disproportionately on common people while benefiting elites.
    — Donovan Fifield, The Conversation, 16 July 2026
Definition of rebel
Adjective
  • Her music accordingly pares down the signature elements of a genre in which reckless abandon and defiant self-expression have long been central.
    — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026
  • The streak did not continue in 2025, but the season turned out to be a more defiant refutation of the caution against rookie tight ends.
    — John Riker, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of defiant
Noun
  • June’s primary victories by left-wing candidates in New York have been described as a political earthquake, with insurgent socialists winning races statewide, including high-profile congressional victories and nearly a dozen more downballot.
    — Danny Kaplowitz, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026
  • So far though, the prediction market insurgents have not meaningfully cut into sportsbook profits.
    — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 17 July 2026
Definition of insurgent
Noun
  • Ethan O’Connor seems well positioned for one of those jobs, and the prime challengers for the other are Damari Brown (whose availability is always a question because of the troublesome foot issue) and impressive second-year player Ja’boree Antoine.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
  • His leading challenger is Daniel Keenan, a construction-company founder and a former forklift operator.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 21 July 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
  • 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.
    — Matthew Lee, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
  • 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.
    — Antonia Quirke, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 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

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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 25 Jul. 2026.

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