as in rebellion
refusal to obey
the dog's frustrating intractability forced the family to try obedience training by a professional
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Recent Examples of intractability
Their stories live on in Sardinian lore with an almost mythical quality, the brigands admired for their intractability.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026
But Bass and every council member and all their successors need to be reminded that a civic sense of intractability is a dangerous thing.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Taken together, these examples point to the possibilities for dissolving intractability with hope and reversing cycles of hatred and revenge – often strengthened by one’s faith.
—The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Nov. 2025
Our problem may be less about the intractability of today’s campus conflicts than about the gap between progressive universities, particularly elite ones, and a much more conservative American public.
—Jonathan Marks, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2020
IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026
But Bass and every council member and all their successors need to be reminded that a civic sense of intractability is a dangerous thing.
—Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Taken together, these examples point to the possibilities for dissolving intractability with hope and reversing cycles of hatred and revenge – often strengthened by one’s faith.
—The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 25 Nov. 2025
Our problem may be less about the intractability of today’s campus conflicts than about the gap between progressive universities, particularly elite ones, and a much more conservative American public.
—Jonathan Marks, Washington Post, 22 Dec. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intractability
Noun
-
View gallery - 5 images There's a rebellion underway against the always-on, infinitely-scrollable nature of the smartphone.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 June 2026
-
Within weeks, the new hypernationalist government mounted an effort to suppress the Russian language in the Donbas, provoking a rebellion among ethnically Russian Ukrainians.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
9 June 2026
Noun
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Cape Verde’s defiance, and the heroics of 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha in particular, will be remembered for some time in Spain.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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The hardliners have even mobilized protests against any agreement, organizing a large demonstration for Sunday night outside the foreign ministry targeting Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, in open defiance of the calls for unity.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Noun
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Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.—
Brad Shoup,
Pitchfork,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Moreover, Trump’s recalcitrance regarding support for military action over Taiwan is broadly shared by its allies.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
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His Israel-Gaza peace plan was blessed by several Arab states and partially by Hamas, the government shutdown is clearly the Democrat’s fault and he’s apparently given up on Ukraine peace because of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recalcitrance.—
Paul Bedard,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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As a plant prohibited by national and international laws, Cannabis tended to impart an aura of cool rebelliousness to its users.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The pseudo-goth hair and costume choices speak to an inner rebelliousness that isn’t so much unleashed as forced loose by a system that values the appearance of a mythical impartiality over her humanity, leaving her with little recourse but to step outside the confines of the law.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Historical novelists are often charged with disrespect and unseriousness, of ransacking the archives for sensational scenery to hang behind their conventional family sagas and love stories.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 June 2026
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The idea is a partial and symbolic sharing, and the purpose is to break the link between hard work and disrespect.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Intractability.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intractability. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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