as in rebellion
refusal to obey
I wish that new hire would grow up—she still displays the refractoriness of a two-year-old
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for refractoriness
Noun
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As Pietro becomes more impatient with Gatti, hearing about Felice’s losing streak in his nightly phone calls home, Felice is prompted into his first, necessary act of rebellion against his father’s loving but stifling authority.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025 -
Although the political protests in Los Angeles included some violence, the judge reasoned that the violence did not rise to a rebellion and did not prevent a traditional police response.—
Luke William Hunt,
The Conversation,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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His defiance has earned him a bump in public support, with recent polls showing more Brazilians blame Bolsonaro's camp for the tariffs than the sitting government.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
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Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 war and began establishing Jewish settlements there soon after in defiance of international law.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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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This element of female rebelliousness is very important to me.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Noun
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The experience haunts Ortegas through the season, affecting her morale and pushing her even into outright insubordination.—
Adam B. Vary,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
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So no one gets married, but Brian does get a bunch of lashes for his insubordination.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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One reason for Trump’s ire, presumably, is that Putin’s recalcitrance places the president in a tough political spot.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
3 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Many individuals remain out of necessity, not due to willful disobedience , but because of sudden changes in personal or political circumstances—including armed conflict, economic collapse, or family emergencies.—
Andy J. Semotiuk,
Forbes.com,
5 Aug. 2025
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Thanks to that act of disobedience, the document is now preserved at Fort Ligonier.—
Aurora Martínez,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Refractoriness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refractoriness. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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