1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
tried to reason with the untoward child
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uncontrollable
given to resisting control or discipline by others
a program for untoward teenagers that is designed to give them the kind of discipline that their parents were unable or unwilling to administer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in adverse
opposed to one's interests
achieved great success as an artist despite growing up in a very untoward milieu
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4
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
unfortunately, one of the symptoms of dementia can be a tendency to make untoward and often shocking remarks
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of untoward
Nor is there anything untoward and deceptive about it.
—
Adam Gelb, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Nearly two years after Denny Crum's death and an untoward incident that left his gravesite monument at the bottom of the Red Sea, the legendary University of Louisville men's basketball coach's final resting place is nearing completion.
—Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Oh, and there's a human operator on board in the front passenger seat, instructed to remain silent through the trip and be prepared to hit a kill switch in case of any untoward incidents in traffic.
—New Atlas, 23 June 2025
Using that data, the system monitors the dark web and other sources for any untoward activity involving that personal data.
—PC Magazine, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for untoward
Adam Gelb, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Nearly two years after Denny Crum's death and an untoward incident that left his gravesite monument at the bottom of the Red Sea, the legendary University of Louisville men's basketball coach's final resting place is nearing completion.
—Killian Baarlaer, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025
Oh, and there's a human operator on board in the front passenger seat, instructed to remain silent through the trip and be prepared to hit a kill switch in case of any untoward incidents in traffic.
—New Atlas, 23 June 2025
Using that data, the system monitors the dark web and other sources for any untoward activity involving that personal data.
—PC Magazine, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for untoward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untoward
Adjective
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Theirs was a rebellious poetics of beauty, or a beautiful poetics of rebellion.—
Taran Dugal,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Yet his work is perhaps closer to the rebellious energy of Dutch painter Theo van Doesburg, for whom the diagonal line was synonymous with disruption.—
Elinore Weil,
Artforum,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Other common side effects include nausea, flushing, headache, and abdominal cramping and uncontrollable shivering.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
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Davidson has coprolalia—uncontrollable obscene speech—hence the pun in the title of the film.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And, more importantly, consider locking one in to protect against any adverse rate changes still to come.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
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And the way to make amends, to get better, to rid ourselves of those burdens of indiscretion is to suffer a little, to cleanse a lot, to reflect more than anything especially under the literal heat of adverse conditions.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The choice to portray her as irritating, self-absorbed, whiny and inappropriate was no accident.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
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At first, the teen denied having an inappropriate relationship with Rivera.—
Meredith Colias-Pete,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This is, of course, exactly the logic that drove the CIA’s support for the Mujahideen Mujahedeen in Afghanistan and the arming of Syrian rebel factions – both of which produced consequences their architects failed to foresee.—
John Calabrese,
The Conversation,
7 Mar. 2026
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Colombia’s government has struggled to contain drug traffickers and rebel groups that are now fighting over territory abandoned by the nation’s largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, following its 2016 peace deal with the government.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Republican Party has similarly bleak numbers, with 51% of respondents expressing an unfavorable view.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
9 Mar. 2026
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Lodaya noted his previous reservations for Westlake, as well as the broad ethylene sector, included a shrinking ethane advantage and unfavorable polyethylene supply-demand dynamics.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Collectively, these offices have saved taxpayers millions of dollars by identifying improper spending, correcting internal controls and preventing future losses.—
Vaughn Stewart,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Mar. 2026
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Testing your soil pH is important because improper soil pH can hinder nutrient absorption.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your nonfiction development pipeline grow?—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Mar. 2026
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His couplets—stitched together by a rhyme—typically saunter in contrary directions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Untoward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untoward. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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