as in rebellion
refusal to obey
punished her recalcitrance by taking away her driving privileges
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Recent Examples of recalcitrance
But the prime minister’s recalcitrance on the subject of a future Palestinian state, long a Saudi condition, is being faulted as one of the reasons Israel is missing out on this opportunity.
—
Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 14 May 2025
The United States has become increasingly irritated with the glacial pace of progress towards implementing a ceasefire agreement, more overtly criticizing Russia's recalcitrance to ink a deal despite pursuing a rapprochement with the Kremlin.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
Resistance to state laws Littleton isn’t just seeing recalcitrance on changes to its land-use code from its residents.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2025
On that front, at least, Putin’s recalcitrance may turn out to be an asset.
—Simon Shuster, TIME, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for recalcitrance
Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 14 May 2025
The United States has become increasingly irritated with the glacial pace of progress towards implementing a ceasefire agreement, more overtly criticizing Russia's recalcitrance to ink a deal despite pursuing a rapprochement with the Kremlin.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
Resistance to state laws Littleton isn’t just seeing recalcitrance on changes to its land-use code from its residents.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 13 Apr. 2025
On that front, at least, Putin’s recalcitrance may turn out to be an asset.
—Simon Shuster, TIME, 24 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for recalcitrance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recalcitrance
Noun
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Readers meet Anne, who walks out of Eden not out of rebellion but love.—
Maria Williams,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
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Netanyahu, meanwhile, faces rebellion from right-wing ministers who want to block a path to Palestinian statehood and annex the West Bank.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Smoking that cigarette is his last attempt at defiance.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
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But with a ceasefire in place, Hamas quickly moved to quash defiance, aiming to cement the authority denied to them in the nascent agreement.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Either of these original conditions would compel us to curb our aspirations to self-making, self-saving, and self-liberation as harmful forms of willfulness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 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
Noun
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The performance goes from fiery to ineffectual as DiCaprio’s character, Bob, loses his youthful rebelliousness in a haze of pot and resignation.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
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The rebelliousness can be witnessed in everything from its ’70s-in-California style to the very naming conventions Mother chooses for its viral products — adored by A-listers like Gigi Hadid, Chrissy Teigen, Millie Bobby Brown, and more.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Footwear News,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The Israel-Hamas war rattled campuses and spurred disrespect and intolerant behavior on all sides.—
James Druckman,
Mercury News,
17 Oct. 2025
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The problem isn’t that my girlfriend wouldn’t get to go, but the disrespect and dishonesty of uninviting her out of the blue and trying to cover it up as being a genuine mistake.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Moja Rowa Colorful disobedience is how Moja Rowa cofounders Yelena Mojarova and Edward Benedikt Sittler characterize their creative spirit and brand ethos.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
23 Sep. 2025
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The ladies move closer to God through acts of disobedience, debauchery, and disgrace; by visiting seedy places and commingling with the disreputable.—
Nicole Flattery,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Recalcitrance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recalcitrance. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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