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
Fox investigates criminal activity in small-town Edgewater, while also having to deal with her ex-con father, as well as a mysterious occurrence that involves Fox’s wayward daughter.
—
Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2025
Bob escapes Lockjaw’s raid, but Willa is captured and the rest of the film chronicles his wayward attempt to find her.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Twice in the first half, Mahomes threw wayward backward passes (laterals) to Isiah Pacheco as a safety valve, and Mahomes had to recover one of the loose balls by himself in an amazing heads-up play.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2025
Adam DeVine, stepping into Ritter’s short-shorts (at least in spirit), earned laughs with a bit about a wayward mic drifting below the belt.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wayward
Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2025
Bob escapes Lockjaw’s raid, but Willa is captured and the rest of the film chronicles his wayward attempt to find her.
—Bill Goodykoontz, AZCentral.com, 24 Sep. 2025
Twice in the first half, Mahomes threw wayward backward passes (laterals) to Isiah Pacheco as a safety valve, and Mahomes had to recover one of the loose balls by himself in an amazing heads-up play.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2025
Adam DeVine, stepping into Ritter’s short-shorts (at least in spirit), earned laughs with a bit about a wayward mic drifting below the belt.
—Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wayward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wayward
Adjective
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The Western world is experiencing something of a psychedelic renaissance, with an increasing amount of interest in drugs that decades ago were considered rebellious and dangerous to some groups but fun to others who used it while clubbing and attending raves.—
Soph Warnes,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
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Bob and Zoyd are both paranoid in the wake of their rebellious pasts.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Originally bred in Germany to hunt badgers, these small canines are energetic, bold and stubborn.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Both options meant navigating some stubborn supporters.—
Kevin Coulson,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Nine months after the longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad was toppled by a rebel offensive, Syria faces a litany of new challenges.—
Caroline Rose,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Sep. 2025
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Iran and later Russia dispatched troops to save him, while Turkey and Gulf states backed rebel militias.—
Robin Yassin-Kassab,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Though the song order is Easter egg intentional – as with everything Swift – it’s bookended by a declaration of romantic salvation and a narrative from the perspective of a weary, yet defiant showgirl.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
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Polis has sought to avoid public fights with the federal government over immigration, unlike his more publicly defiant counterparts in Illinois and California.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Conversely, another person said that OP could've handled the situation better and should've let the dad deal with his unruly kids.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
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Some of the golf at this year's Ryder Cup has been overshadowed by interventions from passionate and unruly fans, as Americans tee off against Europeans in one of the sport's biggest events.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Anderson plunges the audience into the rebels’ point of view, immersing us in the recalcitrant pride and swagger of Perfidia Beverly Hills, a revolutionary leader played by Teyana Taylor with a hypnotic sneer of defiance.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
17 Sep. 2025
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Congress remains recalcitrant to gun reform even after the gruesome scenes at Parkland, Uvalde, and Sandy Hook.—
John J. Donohue,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The ransom notes that followed stirred up an uncontrollable press storm, but when the culprits fell silent, the police faltered, and Catriona and Adam were never seen again.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
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These faulty proteins accumulate in a deep brain structure called the striatum and cause symptoms such as uncontrollable movements, muscle spasms and cognitive decline that worsen over time.—
Allison Parshall,
Scientific American,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Miller was charged with domestic abuse assault, willful injury and kidnapping, according to the sheriff.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
29 Sep. 2025
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He has been charged with armed kidnapping, willful injury, domestic abuse assault with the intent to inflict serious injuries and obstruction of emergency communications, according to public court records.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wayward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wayward. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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