as in stubborn
not willing to do what someone wants or asks for; not cooperative
uncooperative children an uncooperative witness
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Recent Examples of uncooperative
No one wants to appear uncooperative.
—
Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Sean Audy with the Will County sheriff’s office said the defendant also caused trouble at the Will County jail, including threatening a deputy, being insubordinate and uncooperative.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
After their initial statement, Cyprien's parents became uncooperative, police said.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Aug. 2025
The two agents eventually find the victims’ murdered bodies and apprehend the Ku Klux Klan killers after Anderson persuades Ward to discard his high-road rule book in dealing with uncooperative local white folks.
—George Skelton, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for uncooperative
Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Sean Audy with the Will County sheriff’s office said the defendant also caused trouble at the Will County jail, including threatening a deputy, being insubordinate and uncooperative.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
After their initial statement, Cyprien's parents became uncooperative, police said.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Aug. 2025
The two agents eventually find the victims’ murdered bodies and apprehend the Ku Klux Klan killers after Anderson persuades Ward to discard his high-road rule book in dealing with uncooperative local white folks.
—George Skelton, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for uncooperative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncooperative
Adjective
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Uninhibited by the European commitments of their rivals following last season’s dreary eighth-place finish, Massimiliano Allegri has wasted no time moulding the Rossoneri into a stubborn outfit that sit within two points of the summit after a 0-0 draw at Juventus before the international break.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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That damaging psychic weight of insecurity and self-blame seeps into our society and politics, where polls show a stubborn and longtime trend of declining faith in a better future.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The immunity would not apply in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct by the dispatcher.—
Jessie Opoien,
jsonline.com,
15 Oct. 2025
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Ver admitted that his understatement of tax on his 2014 return was willful.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Kurt Caz, a white South African social-media star with millions of followers across platforms, first gained popularity through filming his defiant tours of dangerous neighborhoods in countries such as Venezuela and Kenya.—
T. M. Brown,
New Yorker,
15 Oct. 2025
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In a defiant address to the nation on Monday night, Rajoelina said that he had been forced to move to a safe place because of threats to his life.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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That revelation—learning that uncontrollable crying wasn’t her personality but neurological damage—became another layer of self-compassion.—
Emily Cegielski,
Flow Space,
10 Oct. 2025
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These friends act as social insurance systems for each other, helping each other when needs arise because of unpredictable and uncontrollable events.—
Athena Aktipis,
The Conversation,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
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
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William meanwhile remained recalcitrant.—
Stacy Schiff,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Uncooperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncooperative. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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