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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
-
Silicon Valley definitely has so much of that rebellious spirit.—
Andre Byik,
USA Today,
10 Nov. 2025
-
On Tracker, Ackles portrays Russell, Colter’s charismatic and rebellious older brother, who has a similar skill set and lack of stable home life.—
Katie Mannion,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 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
-
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
-
Al-Sharaa led the rebel forces that toppled former Syrian President Bashar Assad last December and was named the country's interim leader in January.—
NPR,
NPR,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Warriors from more than a dozen Native nations in the trans-Appalachian West helped the redcoats engage rebel forces, as did perhaps twenty-five thousand Black fugitives from slavery.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 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
-
During the Obama and Biden administrations, the US used its bully pulpit to drag more recalcitrant countries like China and the Gulf petrostates to the table and sign them on to promises to cut carbon and shell out cash to help poorer countries.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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The president’s biggest tool has been his willingness to impose high tariffs or punitive sanctions on the recalcitrant parties, showing that the United States’ vast economic power can be as useful as its military might in ending sticky conflicts.—
Robert C. O’Brien,
Foreign Affairs,
5 Nov. 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
-
The Medical University of South Carolina was declared responsible for Fulcher’s death in the lawsuit, citing gross negligence and willful in violation of their duties, according to the outlet.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Wayward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wayward. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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