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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But at this point, the trend’s persistence and the thirst with which its products are consumed suggest a more profound connection between these stories and their audience.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026 -
Transferable soft skills such as problem-solving, and persistence, collaboration and empathy, fast become the tools with which to succeed.—
Barnaby Lashbrooke,
Forbes.com,
30 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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Her third album, Vacancy, documents this sense of resolve.—
Vrinda Jagota,
Pitchfork,
29 Jan. 2026
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What Lee did not anticipate was the iron resolve, the ferocious tenacity, of the Union defenders.—
Jamelle Bouie,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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As the bond between man and wild animal grows, so, too, does Nikola’s determination to return to a way of life that is in balance with nature.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
4 Feb. 2026
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All three family members were rescued after roughly 10 hours adrift, their survival credited to the teenager’s courage and determination.—
Rod McGuirk,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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What was your personal experience with his stubbornness?—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
30 Jan. 2026
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The shadow is stubbornness or emotional defensiveness.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There is no reason, besides intransigence, that City Hall can’t do the same.—
Kate Callen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
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In fact, that summit seemed initially to have backfired for Russia, with Trump growing increasingly frustrated with Moscow’s intransigence.—
Clare Sebastian,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The natural obstinacy and rebelliousness of Israa’s teenage years are hyperaccelerated by culture clashes with both her family and the other kids around her.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
24 Jan. 2026
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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
Noun
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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
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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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Cite this Entry
“Mulishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mulishness. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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