as in rebellion
refusal to obey
frustrated by the boys' unruliness, the lifeguard asked them to leave the pool
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Recent Examples of unruliness
In Olga Tokarczuk’s work, knowing how to pick mushrooms—organisms open to unruliness and interconnection and resistant to easy labeling—is a sign of good character.
—
Christopher Tayler, The New York Review of Books, 2 Oct. 2025
Any unruliness was saved for the sketches.
—Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Bateman commits to his character’s wiry unruliness and makes Vince into a self-destructive twit, which is probably by intent.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025
Christopher Tayler, The New York Review of Books, 2 Oct. 2025
Any unruliness was saved for the sketches.
—Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Bateman commits to his character’s wiry unruliness and makes Vince into a self-destructive twit, which is probably by intent.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unruliness
Noun
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While details of Gatwa’s character are not yet known, Erivo’s Jayne is described as a trailblazing fairy whose defiant streak sparks a rebellion.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
8 Nov. 2025
-
From its beginning, the leaders of the rebellion well understood the global reach and resonance of their great struggle.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Overnight, a show of defiance inside Venezuela from Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello Rondón, who posted a video to social media making his allegiances clear.—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
7 Jan. 2026
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During her own allocution moments later, Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, likewise struck a note of defiance and introduced herself as the First Lady of Venezuela, her face appearing bruised and bandaged.—
Cristian Farias,
New Yorker,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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At times, Carol’s admirable rebelliousness seems to come at the cost of self-flagellating destruction, a badge of honor to be miserable.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
8 Nov. 2025
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The performance goes from fiery to ineffectual as DiCaprio’s character, Bob, loses his youthful rebelliousness in a haze of pot and resignation.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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While this change reduces the explicit admission of willfulness, a narrative is still required.—
Virginia La Torre Jeker,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Chinese diplomatic backlash was instantaneous, with one Chinese official based in Tokyo threatening to cut off her head for the disrespect of her comments.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
29 Dec. 2025
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Bro, don’t marry Svetlana (no disrespect to Svetlana).—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
27 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unruliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unruliness. Accessed 9 Jan. 2026.
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