1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
the manager worried that the recalcitrant employee would try to undermine his authority
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2
as in stubborn
given to resisting control or discipline by others
a heart-to-heart talk with the recalcitrant youth revealed that he had a troubled life at home
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Recent Examples of recalcitrant
During the Obama and Biden administrations, the US used its bully pulpit to drag more recalcitrant countries like China and the Gulf petrostates to the table and sign them on to promises to cut carbon and shell out cash to help poorer countries.
—
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2025
The president’s biggest tool has been his willingness to impose high tariffs or punitive sanctions on the recalcitrant parties, showing that the United States’ vast economic power can be as useful as its military might in ending sticky conflicts.
—Robert C. O’Brien, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2025
Ukraine has seen Europe step financially and militarily into the void left by America, and then seen the same recalcitrant White House offer them its best missiles.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
William meanwhile remained recalcitrant.
—Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for recalcitrant
Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 6 Nov. 2025
The president’s biggest tool has been his willingness to impose high tariffs or punitive sanctions on the recalcitrant parties, showing that the United States’ vast economic power can be as useful as its military might in ending sticky conflicts.
—Robert C. O’Brien, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2025
Ukraine has seen Europe step financially and militarily into the void left by America, and then seen the same recalcitrant White House offer them its best missiles.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
William meanwhile remained recalcitrant.
—Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for recalcitrant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recalcitrant
Adjective
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Artist Sean Gordon Murphy has always had a rebellious indie streak to his work.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
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The Clash are singing of a city aflame, the Sex Pistols are somehow getting more popular after imploding on tour, and on every street corner, mohawks and safety pins are on rebellious display.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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Abby, how does one work with stubborn husbands?—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
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Ahead, Katie Sullivan, the director of issue communications at the American Cleaning Institute, shares the best way to remove sticky, greasy residue from pot lids, at-home solutions for tackling even the most stubborn residue, and the one mistake to avoid that can make cleanup more difficult.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
9 May 2026
Adjective
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Authorities say Saturday’s attack was perpetrated by the Central General Staff, EMC, a rebel group under the command of infamous ex-FARC commander Ivan Mordisco.—
Alfie Pannell,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
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Colombia’s defense minister on Sunday said that kidnappings and lockdowns enforced by rebel groups on communities had decreased in Cauca over the past year because of the government's actions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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San Francisco currently spends about $700 million to $800 million per year on homelessness, aided by the passage in 2018 of the Proposition C gross receipts tax on businesses with annual revenue greater than $50 million, but has yet to make a dent in its intractable homelessness problem.—
Adam B. Summers,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
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Rather than demonstrating American power, the conflict has pulled the US into a deeply unpopular and seemingly intractable confrontation with spiraling global economic consequences.—
Sylvie Zhuang,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s defiant bid to face down a rebellion left his future in the balance Wednesday, but that wasn’t going to stop the United Kingdom playing dress-up for the ceremonial State Opening of Parliament.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
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Plum is braless, her vest open to reveal a shimmery pile of silver chains, her abs on defiant display.—
Jade Chang,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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These warm hundreds of tonnes of refractory bricks to temperatures up to 1,500 °C.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Oct. 2025
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This is, by far, the most common TES approach in industry, with most companies using legacy technologies like refractory bricks and molten salt to store heat in insulated shipping containers.—
Erik Kobayashi-Solomon,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Unfortunately, the three women have no idea where to find the wayward patriarch.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
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Authorities on the Peninsula helped rescue a wayward California sea lion that was found off busy Highway 101 on Friday.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
10 May 2026
Adjective
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Tremors, uncontrollable shaking At very high doses, glycoalkaloids can become fatal.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
10 May 2026
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The plane became uncontrollable after take-off and crashed short of the runway on its return to the airport, according to the complaints.—
Joe Marusak
May 1,
Charlotte Observer,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Recalcitrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recalcitrant. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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