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
Consciousness may be the most recalcitrant concept of all.
—
Dan Turello, New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2026
Adams had carefully shepherded it through an often-recalcitrant City Council and through the gauntlet of demands coming from both the real estate lobby and pro-housing advocates.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 1 Jan. 2026
At least two, White Electric in Providence, and Darwin’s in Cambridge, Massachusetts, were bought out from recalcitrant owners and turned into worker co-ops.
—Bryce Covert, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 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
See All Example Sentences for recalcitrant
Dan Turello, New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2026
Adams had carefully shepherded it through an often-recalcitrant City Council and through the gauntlet of demands coming from both the real estate lobby and pro-housing advocates.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 1 Jan. 2026
At least two, White Electric in Providence, and Darwin’s in Cambridge, Massachusetts, were bought out from recalcitrant owners and turned into worker co-ops.
—Bryce Covert, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 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
See All Example Sentences for recalcitrant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recalcitrant
Adjective
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In others, the rebellious teenager drinks elsewhere.—
Thomas Lake,
AJC.com,
4 June 2026
-
For a distillery known as much for its rebellious personality as its whisky, bringing back a bottle called Yellow Submarine feels pretty on-brand.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Grab a melamine sponge and get rid of stubborn bathtub stains in a jiffy.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
1 June 2026
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If the Avs remain stubborn and play a style that suits their stars in the regular season, MacKinnon might win another title, but will be at the end of his career with another team.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Although the country saw a break in violence between rebel groups and the government in the 10 years since the historic agreement between guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) and the government, criminal gang activity is rising.—
Sebastian Jimenez,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
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Attacks in the region by the Allied Democratic Forces, a rebel group allied with the militant organization Islamic State, and a coalition of ethnic militias have also hindered the response.—
Justin Kabumba,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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In a labor negotiation, no one is incentivized to seem anything but intractable.—
Dan Shanoff,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
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The uncertainty makes the theft of the camera footage and archive one of the most intractable and damaging mysteries of the post-regime period.—
Amer Matar,
The Dial,
26 May 2026
Adjective
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The great-grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic struck a defiant tone in an interview with CNN on Thursday, saying Iran shouldn’t compromise on its demands to end the war.—
Frederik Pleitgen,
CNN Money,
5 June 2026
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The candidate, wearing Nikes and a suit but no tie — not too buttoned up — struck a defiant tone.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
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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The wayward trailer then struck the Ford F-150 pickup heading east and driven by Fiscus.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
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Before his interview with IndieWire can begin, Charles Melton becomes distracted by a wayward eyelash.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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At the same time, severe OCD, intrusive thoughts and uncontrollable crying spells took a major toll on Cust’s mental health.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
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My uncontrollable emotions and my identity crisis also hindered me from being able to enjoy the time with my kids.—
Simone Sauter,
Parents,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Recalcitrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recalcitrant. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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