as in rebelliousness
failure or refusal to do what someone has told or asked you to do; lack of cooperation
They adopted a strategy of noncooperation until they were treated fairly.
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Recent Examples of noncooperation
In a nutshell: Nonviolent resistance is based on noncooperation with autocratic actions.
—
Shelley Inglis, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2025
While declarations have been made in the past regarding our city having a sanctuary status, there have been no clear directives toward local law enforcement regarding noncooperation with federal agencies such as ICE.
—Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
These movements used many different tools at their disposal — lawsuits, mass rallies, strikes, work slowdowns, boycotts and other forms of noncooperation and resistance.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2025
Attempted strikes, boycotts, and other forms of mass noncooperation were weak, localized, and lacked support.
—Erica Chenoweth, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2014
See All Example Sentences for noncooperation
Shelley Inglis, The Conversation, 19 Oct. 2025
While declarations have been made in the past regarding our city having a sanctuary status, there have been no clear directives toward local law enforcement regarding noncooperation with federal agencies such as ICE.
—Scott Wartman, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
These movements used many different tools at their disposal — lawsuits, mass rallies, strikes, work slowdowns, boycotts and other forms of noncooperation and resistance.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2025
Attempted strikes, boycotts, and other forms of mass noncooperation were weak, localized, and lacked support.
—Erica Chenoweth, Foreign Affairs, 16 June 2014
See All Example Sentences for noncooperation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for noncooperation
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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This transit stokes your sense of independence and even rebelliousness, inspiring you to strike out against convention and innovate more than ever.—
Maressa Brown,
InStyle,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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And last week, former interior minister Lee Sang-min was sentenced to seven years in prison for participating in a rebellion.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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South Korea’s Justice Ministry bans Yoon from traveling overseas as police, prosecutors and an anti-corruption agency expand competing investigations into allegations of rebellion and other charges.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Now, Zelenskyy’s defiance of the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion has taken on an increasingly exasperated, if not desperate, tone.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
24 Feb. 2026
-
To someone unfamiliar with the condition, all could be mistaken for intoxication, defiance or guilt.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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
Noun
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In the political aftermath, former and current leadership seized on the incident to fault Mamdani’s leadership, saying the mayor’s earlier criticisms of the NYPD had fostered a climate of disrespect for law enforcement.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Feb. 2026
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Hundreds of Buddhist monks rallied in the capital of Sri Lanka on Friday to protest alleged government disrespect of their religion and disregard for a long-standing tradition that they be consulted in matters of state.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Women in hijabs pushing strollers through snowbanks reminded me of the strength and stubbornness of the women who raised me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
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Like, does stubbornness at all play a role in, interpersonal relationships?—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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More to the point, the government's understaffing and high caseload is a problem of its own making and absolutely does not justify flagrant disobedience of court orders.—
Jacob Rosen,
CBS News,
19 Feb. 2026
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As litigation commenced and DHS officials were called to testify, judges became frustrated at the rampant false testimony and disobedience of the government.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Noncooperation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/noncooperation. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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