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
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
Star witness became uncooperative Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield told the Herald this week that the second-degree murder case was getting increasingly difficult because one of prosecutors’ star witnesses became uncooperative and the other disappeared.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 22 July 2025
One terrorism expert speculated via Twitter that Kassig might have been uncooperative.
—Andrew Mills, IndyStar, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for uncooperative
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
Star witness became uncooperative Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield told the Herald this week that the second-degree murder case was getting increasingly difficult because one of prosecutors’ star witnesses became uncooperative and the other disappeared.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 22 July 2025
One terrorism expert speculated via Twitter that Kassig might have been uncooperative.
—Andrew Mills, IndyStar, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for uncooperative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncooperative
Adjective
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Originally bred in Germany to hunt badgers, these small canines are energetic, bold and stubborn.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Both options meant navigating some stubborn supporters.—
Kevin Coulson,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The three, from Southern California, were arrested and booked into Mono County Jail on suspicion of willful discharge of a firearm in a grossly negligent manner, a felony.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
29 Sep. 2025
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Miller was charged with domestic abuse assault, willful injury and kidnapping, according to the sheriff.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Though the song order is Easter egg intentional – as with everything Swift – it’s bookended by a declaration of romantic salvation and a narrative from the perspective of a weary, yet defiant showgirl.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Polis has sought to avoid public fights with the federal government over immigration, unlike his more publicly defiant counterparts in Illinois and California.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The ransom notes that followed stirred up an uncontrollable press storm, but when the culprits fell silent, the police faltered, and Catriona and Adam were never seen again.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
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These faulty proteins accumulate in a deep brain structure called the striatum and cause symptoms such as uncontrollable movements, muscle spasms and cognitive decline that worsen over time.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Anderson plunges the audience into the rebels’ point of view, immersing us in the recalcitrant pride and swagger of Perfidia Beverly Hills, a revolutionary leader played by Teyana Taylor with a hypnotic sneer of defiance.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
17 Sep. 2025
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Congress remains recalcitrant to gun reform even after the gruesome scenes at Parkland, Uvalde, and Sandy Hook.—
John J. Donohue,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Uncooperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncooperative. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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