as in rebellion
refusal to obey
punished her recalcitrance by taking away her driving privileges
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Recent Examples of recalcitrance
A certain recalcitrance has always been part of what makes Rosalía so compelling.
—
Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
Moreover, Trump’s recalcitrance regarding support for military action over Taiwan is broadly shared by its allies.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
In an ideal world, Putin’s recalcitrance to end his folly will at least finally convince Trump that there is not and was never going to be a quick and easy solution that he could be seen to personally mediate in his apparent quest to get a Nobel peace prize.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 8 Aug. 2025
But both are inadequate in the face of human denial and recalcitrance.
—Rita D. Sherma, The Conversation, 17 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for recalcitrance
Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
Moreover, Trump’s recalcitrance regarding support for military action over Taiwan is broadly shared by its allies.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
In an ideal world, Putin’s recalcitrance to end his folly will at least finally convince Trump that there is not and was never going to be a quick and easy solution that he could be seen to personally mediate in his apparent quest to get a Nobel peace prize.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 8 Aug. 2025
But both are inadequate in the face of human denial and recalcitrance.
—Rita D. Sherma, The Conversation, 17 Feb. 2022
See All Example Sentences for recalcitrance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recalcitrance
Noun
-
The rebellion stems from Labor’s heavy losses in local elections last week and widespread party frustration over Starmer’s leadership, stagnant economic growth and failure to deliver on campaign promises.—
Danica Kirka,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
On the internet, masculinism is presented as a rebellion—a transgressive middle finger to the liberal establishment, expressed in all the words a corporate HR department would order you not to say.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
His campaign is built around an appeal to mainstream Republicans, swing voters and old-school conservatives who see his defiance of Trump in 2020 as a mark of independence rather than betrayal.—
Joe Kovac,
AJC.com,
12 May 2026
-
Despite that effort, Hoskins and other Republican statewide officials enacted the map in defiance of decades of precedent.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
The pseudo-goth hair and costume choices speak to an inner rebelliousness that isn’t so much unleashed as forced loose by a system that values the appearance of a mythical impartiality over her humanity, leaving her with little recourse but to step outside the confines of the law.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
23 Feb. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
The disrespect will only add to the motivation for the defending Division 1 champions.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
Let’s be honest here, and no disrespect to venerable family board games, but Monopoly is kind of boring.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Their stories live on in Sardinian lore with an almost mythical quality, the brigands admired for their intractability.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
7 May 2026
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But Bass and every council member and all their successors need to be reminded that a civic sense of intractability is a dangerous thing.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
On Wednesday, dissident artists Pussy Riot stormed the Russian pavilion while waving Ukrainian flags and calling for disobedience.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
6 May 2026
-
Fernando Melo Flores, a 40-year-old Irvine resident, was charged with one felony count of possession of child pornography, one felony count of unauthorized computer access, and one misdemeanor count of willful disobedience of a court order.—
Ryanne Mena,
Oc Register,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Recalcitrance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recalcitrance. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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