1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
had always been the most wayward of their three children
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
given to resisting control or discipline by others
an institution to which wayward teens were often sent
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wayward
Miserable second quarter Chase Center was rocking after Brandin Podziemski feathered in a layup after Green was able to corral a wayward Clipper pass.
—
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
Tennessee’s big cats are mostly of the bobcat variety, but one wayward mountain lion captured the state’s attention.
—Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 27 Oct. 2025
Then Rossi pounced on Toninho Cerezo’s wayward square pass (hugely reminiscent of Italy’s consolation goal against the same opposition in the 1970 final) and fired home.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Fortunately, many of us live in communities of fellow pet lovers who are willing and ready to keep an eye out for wayward animals.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wayward
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
Tennessee’s big cats are mostly of the bobcat variety, but one wayward mountain lion captured the state’s attention.
—Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 27 Oct. 2025
Then Rossi pounced on Toninho Cerezo’s wayward square pass (hugely reminiscent of Italy’s consolation goal against the same opposition in the 1970 final) and fired home.
—Michael Cox, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
Fortunately, many of us live in communities of fellow pet lovers who are willing and ready to keep an eye out for wayward animals.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wayward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wayward
Adjective
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As for the Banks sisters, Ashley (Akira Akbar) works through a rebellious phase during her freshman year as Hilary (Coco Jones) goes on a journey of self-exploration.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
3 Nov. 2025
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To be clear, there is no sense that Rondón and Ugás are defending the old guard or suggesting that a docile, starving population pinioned under the grip of a dictatorship is big-picture preferable to a rebellious insurgency.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
That tone—of pain, of surprise, of a stubborn refusal to be reduced or diminished—is everywhere in it.—
Questlove,
The Atlantic,
7 Nov. 2025
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If the stain is stubborn, add a few drops of dish soap to the water and vinegar mixture.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
An elderly man sits on the floor, dozens of bodies lying around him, before a Sudanese rebel fighter approaches and shoots him.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
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The 64-year-old actor famously portrays rebel leader Morpheus, captain of the Nebuchadnezzar, in the hit sci-fi action film franchise.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Trimming can be done more often for light touch-ups during the growing season to keep unruly plants in check, remove leggy growth, and maintain shape as the plant grows.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
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That meant that Emms pulled double duty of sorts at the London fest, also appearing in Jonatan Etzler’s black comedy Bad Apples, which stars Saoirse Ronan as a teacher finding her class of 10-year-olds disrupted by one unruly pupil.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Cushla’s world is full of defiant spirits, including her mother, a woman struggling with addiction who spends most of her days bound to her living room and the bottom of a bottle.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The mayor-elect was defiant in his victory speech.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Ukraine has seen Europe step financially and militarily into the void left by America, and then seen the same recalcitrant White House offer them its best missiles.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
18 Oct. 2025
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William meanwhile remained recalcitrant.—
Stacy Schiff,
The Atlantic,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Newsom said that by sending California Guard members to Oregon and Illinois the administration is essentially admitting that they are not needed in Los Angeles, where the immigration officials they were sent to protect have not faced violent or uncontrollable protests for months.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
3 Nov. 2025
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The cough grew violent, uncontrollable and exhausting.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Penalties can reach up to roughly $51,500 per violation, along with multiyear bans on new visa petitions for willful breaches, according to DOL enforcement guidelines.—
Robert Alexander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
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Tessa Thompson stars as the willful heroine, married to a rather meek academic, George Tesman (Tom Bateman), who’s angling for an important university position.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wayward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wayward. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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