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
None of these inspections turned up anything untoward.
—
Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for untoward
Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 25 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for untoward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untoward
Adjective
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The temperamental Moon activates your 3rd House of Communication, forming a supportive trine to rebellious Uranus in your 7th House of Companions.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The series picks up 15 years after the finale of The Handmaid's Tale, and follows Agnes and Daisy (Lucy Halliday), a rebellious newcomer.—
Julia Moore,
PEOPLE,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Luari dismisses that speculation, saying her problems are not tied to her rapid expansion, but rather uncontrollable financial setbacks.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
26 Mar. 2026
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These caps could eliminate the secret runway to uncontrollable superhuman capabilities while still allowing beneficial AI development.—
J. Xavier Prochaska,
Mercury News,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The charity seeks the court’s intervention, protection, and restitution following a coordinated adverse media campaign conducted since 25 March 2025 that has caused operational disruption and reputational harm to the charity, its leadership, and its strategic partners.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2026
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Extend it to four seconds to ensure safe spacing in adverse conditions.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Horner seemed calm and articulate and also made inappropriate jokes during the interview, Espinoza said.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
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Swalwell has denied the allegations of inappropriate behavior with female staffers, which his camp argues are coming from online influencers connected to his opponents.—
Julie Watts,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In a message Monday on X, Sánchez said that so far there were no signs indicating that the plane was attacked by rebel groups that operate near Puerto Leguizamo.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026
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Petro, a leftist who was a member of a rebel group in his youth, has attempted to stage peace talks with Colombia’s remaining rebel groups under a strategy known as total peace.—
Manuel Rueda,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The 2021 race was canceled due to COVID, then two successful races were held before the recent run of unfavorable weather.—
Anthony Bettin,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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YouGov puts his unfavorable tracker at -88%.—
Stu Strumwasser,
Fortune,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Last month the Maryland Senate passed the PACE Act — Senate Bill 475 — which would establish guardrails to prevent the improper use of art as evidence in criminal trials.—
Ivan J. Bates,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Apr. 2026
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Words with letters dropped off the end or entire phrases strung together to form new words were seen as improper speech of the uneducated and poor.—
Moriah Humiston,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 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 13 Apr. 2026.
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