1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
a handful of ungovernable students are disrupting the learning environment for everyone else
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uncontrollable
given to resisting control or discipline by others
resigned to the fact that my cat is basically is an ungovernable beast with a will of his own
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ungovernable
Gleichschaltung brings the unconscious—the self’s most ungovernable part—into line, and in doing so empties the individual of creativity, vitality, and, most importantly, resistance.
—
Zoe Roth
april 30, Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2025
But that was Kilmer, unpredictable, ungovernable, never boring.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025
The result is a massively flawed information market and an increasingly ungovernable world.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
In California, the shift toward ungovernable fires in populated places has been under way for several years.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ungovernable
Zoe Roth
april 30, Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2025
But that was Kilmer, unpredictable, ungovernable, never boring.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025
The result is a massively flawed information market and an increasingly ungovernable world.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
In California, the shift toward ungovernable fires in populated places has been under way for several years.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ungovernable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungovernable
Adjective
-
Do something semi-rebellious in honor of Lane Kim Like dyeing your hair or joining a band!—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Kimmel is once again on the air throughout the country now that rebellious affiliate owners Nexstar and Sinclair have backed down and agreed to resume airing his ABC late-night show after a weeklong standoff.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
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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Aside from games like volleyball and dominoes, Gach says some children stage fake ambushes on one another while pretending to be government forces or rebel fighters.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
5 Oct. 2025
-
The Security Council has been monitoring a 2016 peace accord between the government and what was then the largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, at the government's request.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Digital exhaustion increased to 84% in 2025 from 75% the prior year, while unmanageable workloads also rose to 77%, per the report.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya
Aisha Ditta,
CNBC,
28 Sep. 2025
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For many families, those costs are unmanageable, and yet the emotional toll of being far away is even higher.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
19 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
-
Originally bred in Germany to hunt badgers, these small canines are energetic, bold and stubborn.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Both options meant navigating some stubborn supporters.—
Kevin Coulson,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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One can make the case that many voters are also willing to be selective in their vision—the right’s defense of free speech gathered steam despite the Republican Party suffering from even more seemingly intractable internal contradictions on the issue.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
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Kizzi is an intractable flirt, a trait that is very popular with the boys, and, from the looks of the preview at the end of the episode, also with the girls.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Conversely, another person said that OP could've handled the situation better and should've let the dad deal with his unruly kids.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
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Some of the golf at this year's Ryder Cup has been overshadowed by interventions from passionate and unruly fans, as Americans tee off against Europeans in one of the sport's biggest events.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ungovernable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungovernable. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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