1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
an intractable child who deliberately does the opposite of whatever he is told
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2
as in stubborn
given to resisting control or discipline by others
cats are by nature fairly intractable animals
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intractable
Kizzi is an intractable flirt, a trait that is very popular with the boys, and, from the looks of the preview at the end of the episode, also with the girls.
—
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
Doing the same for two is considerably harder; when the number grows to eight, the problem becomes practically intractable.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025
Rather, the goal is to maximise investment returns – Mounsey-Heysham and his co-founders just happen to believe the best way to do that is to identify companies with convincing answers to large and seemingly intractable societal problems.
—David Prosser, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
When paired with a custom interpolation algorithm, this tensor-train technique makes an intractable problem solvable at a faster rate.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intractable
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
Doing the same for two is considerably harder; when the number grows to eight, the problem becomes practically intractable.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025
Rather, the goal is to maximise investment returns – Mounsey-Heysham and his co-founders just happen to believe the best way to do that is to identify companies with convincing answers to large and seemingly intractable societal problems.
—David Prosser, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
When paired with a custom interpolation algorithm, this tensor-train technique makes an intractable problem solvable at a faster rate.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intractable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intractable
Adjective
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Silicon Valley definitely has so much of that rebellious spirit.—
Andre Byik,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
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On Tracker, Ackles portrays Russell, Colter’s charismatic and rebellious older brother, who has a similar skill set and lack of stable home life.—
Katie Mannion,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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That tone—of pain, of surprise, of a stubborn refusal to be reduced or diminished—is everywhere in it.—
Questlove,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
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If the stain is stubborn, add a few drops of dish soap to the water and vinegar mixture.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Al-Sharaa led the rebel forces that toppled former Syrian President Bashar Assad last December and was named the country's interim leader in January.—
NPR,
NPR,
11 Nov. 2025
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Warriors from more than a dozen Native nations in the trans-Appalachian West helped the redcoats engage rebel forces, as did perhaps twenty-five thousand Black fugitives from slavery.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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On Friday, a federal judge shot down arguments that the emergency funds can be employed only for hurricanes or other unmanageable catastrophes, ruling in favor of more than 20 states led by Democrats that sued the administration.—
Tara Suter,
The Hill,
2 Nov. 2025
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The Humane Society reminds pet owners that help is available for those feeling overwhelmed and encourages community members to reach out before situations become unmanageable.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Cushla’s world is full of defiant spirits, including her mother, a woman struggling with addiction who spends most of her days bound to her living room and the bottom of a bottle.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
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The mayor-elect was defiant in his victory speech.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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During the Obama and Biden administrations, the US used its bully pulpit to drag more recalcitrant countries like China and the Gulf petrostates to the table and sign them on to promises to cut carbon and shell out cash to help poorer countries.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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The president’s biggest tool has been his willingness to impose high tariffs or punitive sanctions on the recalcitrant parties, showing that the United States’ vast economic power can be as useful as its military might in ending sticky conflicts.—
Robert C. O’Brien,
Foreign Affairs,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Newsom said that by sending California Guard members to Oregon and Illinois the administration is essentially admitting that they are not needed in Los Angeles, where the immigration officials they were sent to protect have not faced violent or uncontrollable protests for months.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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The cough grew violent, uncontrollable and exhausting.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This is, by far, the most common TES approach in industry, with most companies using legacy technologies like refractory bricks and molten salt to store heat in insulated shipping containers.—
Erik Kobayashi-Solomon,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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This is due to a rare condition called refractory celiac disease, which requires specialized treatment.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
19 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Intractable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intractable. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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