NONCOOPERATIVE Synonyms: 101 Similar and Opposite Words

noncooperative

adjective

Definition of noncooperative

as in uncooperative

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of noncooperative The European Space Agency’s ClearSpace-1, planned for 2029, tackles the harder case by capturing the unprepared, noncooperative Proba-1 satellite and dragging it down to burn up. — Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Conversation, 22 July 2026 Dolphins that partnered with fishers also experienced a 13 percent boost in survival, compared with noncooperative ones, most likely because of the animals spending the majority of their time in the lagoon. — Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2023 The disclosures would also extend to activities in jurisdictions that are on the EU’s list of noncooperative jurisdictions. — Nana Ama Sarfo, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2021 Cooperative birds' cheating rate averaged around 12 percent, while noncooperative birds around 23 percent. — Joseph Calamia, Discover Magazine, 20 Aug. 2010

Recent Examples of Synonyms for noncooperative

Adjective

Both men were uncooperative with police, who are trying to determine where the shooting happened and the motive.

— Harry Harris, Mercury News, 13 July 2026
The uncooperative witness testimony was a blow to the defense, who also called two of their own expert witnesses to cast doubt on the federal investigation and testify that fireworks were the most likely cause of the fire.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 June 2026

Definition of uncooperative

Adjective

Part of the problem is that, outside of their tenants’ pleas, landlords face neither any real pressure nor any legal requirement to install shutters and ceiling fans; even owners who want to do so are thwarted by recalcitrant co-op boards or finicky historic-preservation reviews.

— Henry Grabar, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026
The patron saint of the 2024 Democratic National Convention was Fannie Lou Hamer—recalcitrant sharecropper turned agitator and, like the Democratic presidential nominee, a black woman.

— Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026

Definition of recalcitrant

Adjective

Part of what makes the conflict intractable is who is not harvesting these sharks.

— Kate Waxman, Sun Sentinel, 19 July 2026
The property tax has long been Connecticut’s Gordian knot, a seemingly intractable problem that overburdens middle- and low-income households, stymies business growth and creates great K-12 education disparities between cities and suburbs.

— Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 17 July 2026

Definition of intractable

Adjective

Conduct disorder affects children and teens and involves a consistent pattern of disobedient and aggressive behaviors.

— Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 21 May 2026
Rising gas prices and an unpopular war in Iran have infuriated prominent MAGA figures online, but in terms of GOP elections, the president has been able to elbow out critics in Congress and disobedient legislators in red states.

— Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 17 May 2026

Definition of disobedient

Adjective

Her music accordingly pares down the signature elements of a genre in which reckless abandon and defiant self-expression have long been central.

— Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026
The streak did not continue in 2025, but the season turned out to be a more defiant refutation of the caution against rookie tight ends.

— John Riker, New York Times, 20 July 2026

Definition of defiant

Adjective

And only DeMichelle’s Marguerite has the necessary command to bring this obstreperous monarch to heel.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
And when intelligence confirms that one of their vessels is engaged in armed smuggling operations, the president need not convene an obstreperous congressional committee before acting in such a manner to defend the American people.

— Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025

Definition of obstreperous

Adjective

The inspiration behind this rock-and-roll icon, however, lies in Hindu spiritual symbolism, whose meanings contrast sharply with the rebellious image the logo projects.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 July 2026
Judy Davis stars as Sybylla, a rebellious young woman in 19th century Australia who longs to be a writer, but her traditionalist parents refuse to indulge those dreams, sending her to board with her wealthy grandmother instead.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026

Definition of rebellious

Adjective

With weather conditions changing almost by the minute, challenging pot bunkers, and high grass to punish the wayward shot, the Open is one tournament which isn’t taken lightly.

— Jeff Hartman, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Bar associations need to have more of a bite in going after law licenses to curb wayward lawyers like Bondi, Blanche or Brito, who lawyer solely for political reason without adherence to the rule of law.

— Miles J. Zaremski, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026

Definition of wayward

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noncooperation

noncooperative

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“Noncooperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/noncooperative. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of noncooperative

adjective

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