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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And last week, former interior minister Lee Sang-min was sentenced to seven years in prison for participating in a rebellion.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026 -
South Korea’s Justice Ministry bans Yoon from traveling overseas as police, prosecutors and an anti-corruption agency expand competing investigations into allegations of rebellion and other charges.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In contemporary terms, joy is a psychological and neurobiological act of defiance.—
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The American founding was, at its core, an act of defiance against unchecked power.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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The orphan’s predicament is as much a matter of willfulness as of survival—inseparable, as in the works of Charles Dickens, from a dream of being somehow rescued by the idea of an adult world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Noun
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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
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This transit stokes your sense of independence and even rebelliousness, inspiring you to strike out against convention and innovate more than ever.—
Maressa Brown,
InStyle,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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He was terminated over allegations of abuse of power, insubordination, abuse of leave policies, and failure to report damage to a department vehicle.—
Brian Maass,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Green Thumb asserted Contreras was terminated for insubordination and other reasons.—
Dan Eaton,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Dec. 2025
Noun
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But less than a month after proposing the inquiry, PURA released a decision abruptly canceling it and blaming the cancellation on utility recalcitrance.—
Edmund H. Mahony,
Hartford Courant,
1 Feb. 2026
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The city faces large fines and legal fees, and might even lose its zoning power to a receiver because of its recalcitrance.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
19 Nov. 2025
Noun
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As litigation commenced and DHS officials were called to testify, judges became frustrated at the rampant false testimony and disobedience of the government.—
Clarence Page,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Feb. 2026
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The passenger was arrested, and now faces charges of crime of resistance and disobedience.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Refractoriness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/refractoriness. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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