as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
the junior officer was court-martialed for being insubordinate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in rebellion
refusal to obey
was fired for chronic insubordination
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in rebel
Related Words
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
David Browne, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2025
Insomnia is a mark of the insubordinate imagination.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Bondi fired him for insubordination.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insubordinate
Noun
At the start of its fourth season, SNL was no longer the insubordinate new kid on the block.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2025
Insomnia is a mark of the insubordinate imagination.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
Noun
Roger Alford, who was fired in July for alleged insubordination, claims that political appointees under Bondi's direction overruled career staff and settled a major tech merger—Hewlett Packard Enterprise's $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks—in a manner that undermined the rule of law.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Bondi fired him for insubordination.
—Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insubordinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insubordinate
Adjective
-
Taking inspiration from the the Jolly Roger, this 44mm watch has both military functionality and a rebellious spirit, with a blackout dial punctuated by a luminous skull-and-crossbones emblem at 9 o’clock.—
Matthew Catellier,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
-
Related Stories The film centers on 12-year-old Janna, who embarks on a journey toward Mecca to preform Hajj with her strict grandmother Sitti and rebellious 18-year-old sister Sarah.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Gilroy’s version was an origin story tracing the making of a revolutionary, the education of Cassian Andor as a scruffy, reluctant malcontent who is radicalized into a rebel leader.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Originally, the many rebel groups fighting Assad’s forces included both secular and Islamic militias.—
Rami Zeedan,
The Conversation,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The trio – who had never appeared together in public before – formed the defiant face of an emerging bloc of illiberal leaders determined to push back against Western rules and tilt the global balance of power in their favor.—
Nectar Gan,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
-
While Massie remains defiant, the episode highlights how Trump’s threats alone can destabilize even entrenched incumbents.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insubordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insubordinate. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share