uncooperative

adjective

Definition of uncooperativenext
as in stubborn
not willing to do what someone wants or asks for; not cooperative uncooperative children an uncooperative witness

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of uncooperative The boy has not been able to confirm any of the details and has been uncooperative so far, police said. — Jessica James, Baltimore Sun, 15 May 2026 The best success comes using it in jungle-thick cover, worming a minnow down between uncooperative branches. — John Phillips, Outdoor Life, 14 May 2026 Kingsbury and defense lawyer Linda Parisi, who represents Dandrae Martin, stressed the chaotic nature of the scene and the uncooperative crowd. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 12 May 2026 However, Gary said the owner was uncooperative and intentionally took the dog out of ACS’s jurisdiction, preventing officers from placing the dog in quarantine after the child was bitten. — Jacob Beltran, San Antonio Express-News, 8 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for uncooperative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncooperative
  1. stubborn
  2. willful
  3. defiant
  4. uncontrollable
  5. recalcitrant
Adjective
  • His crippling, his stubborn arrogance and refusal to be humbled, has somehow humanized the spoiled brat king.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • However, Sokolowski says oxygen bleach is a suitable option for lifting stubborn stains.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 19 July 2026
Definition of stubborn
Adjective
  • While some households may have tax debts due to willful negligence, others may accrue large unpaid balances for innocent reasons and don’t have the money to repay, experts said.
    — Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • In the case of a willful failure to comply with the law, the company can be liable for actual or statutory damages and punitive damages.
    — Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
Definition of willful
Adjective
  • Her music accordingly pares down the signature elements of a genre in which reckless abandon and defiant self-expression have long been central.
    — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026
  • The streak did not continue in 2025, but the season turned out to be a more defiant refutation of the caution against rookie tight ends.
    — John Riker, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of defiant
Adjective
  • An unhappy passenger took to Reddit recently to express dismay about a one-hour flight delay because of an uncontrollable toddler on a flight in Sweden.
    — Perri Ormont Blumberg, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026
  • Today, these dire warnings have become a stark reality, as Europe and the US grapple with punishing heatwaves and uncontrollable wildfires.
    — Adam Frank, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Definition of uncontrollable
Adjective
  • Part of the problem is that, outside of their tenants’ pleas, landlords face neither any real pressure nor any legal requirement to install shutters and ceiling fans; even owners who want to do so are thwarted by recalcitrant co-op boards or finicky historic-preservation reviews.
    — Henry Grabar, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026
  • The patron saint of the 2024 Democratic National Convention was Fannie Lou Hamer—recalcitrant sharecropper turned agitator and, like the Democratic presidential nominee, a black woman.
    — Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
Definition of recalcitrant

Browse Nearby Words

uncool
uncooperative
uncoordinated
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Cite this Entry

“Uncooperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncooperative. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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