as in obdurateness
a steadfast adherence to an opinion, purpose, or course of action
cursed their mulishness for failing to own up to what seemed like an obvious mistake to him
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mulishness
Noun
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The distorting design of the Senate and the Electoral College, the filibuster’s persistence, and centralized leadership have all contributed to legislative ossification.—
Duncan Hosie,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026 -
Twenty years of hard work and persistence, blessed by occasional moments when chance had generously smiled on him.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The Home Service Insurance segment experienced a decline in premiums, attributed to strategic actions to improve sales quality and persistency, as well as economic pressures such as inflation.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
13 Mar. 2025
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The tannins are well structured yet soft and the wine has great persistency in the finish.—
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen,
Robb Report,
2 May 2023
Noun
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If anything, Lane Kiffin’s decision to bolt for LSU seemed to harden Ole Miss’ resolve, pushing the Rebels to the best season in school history — and within a game of their first national championship game.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
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If anything, Lane Kiffin’s decision to bolt for LSU seemed to harden Mississippi’s resolve, pushing the Rebels to the best season in school history — and within a game of their first national championship game.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The common thread may be America’s determination to challenge China and its dominance of critical minerals.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
15 Jan. 2026
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She's inspired by Morris' determination and compassion.—
Sharon Chin,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There is genius in Tomlin’s stubbornness.—
Jerry Brewer,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2026
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The Dilbert principle — traced back to a quote in a 1995 strip — posited that managers and higher-ups are actually successful morons whose stubbornness is confused for real leadership qualities.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Afterward, Rubio apparently described his intransigence to Trump, and the summit was quickly cancelled.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
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But this outcome is more the product of Putin’s intransigence than European diplomacy.—
Matthias Matthijs,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The White House does not seem to have a workaround to Putin’s obstinacy, and Rubio told Hannity that all other parties seeking to end the conflict are hopeless.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Dec. 2025
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The gaps between Kyiv and Moscow remain too explicit, and their reasons for obstinacy too drenched in sacrifice, anxiety and blood.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
28 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The orphan’s predicament is as much a matter of willfulness as of survival—inseparable, as in the works of Charles Dickens, from a dream of being somehow rescued by the idea of an adult world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
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While this change reduces the explicit admission of willfulness, a narrative is still required.—
Virginia La Torre Jeker,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Mulishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mulishness. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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