as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
the judge threatened to charge the contumacious witness with contempt of court
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contumacious
Adjective
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Luna will meet with rebellious Uranus in a surprising trine, bringing a jolt of excitement and unexpected revelations to your love life.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
14 Feb. 2025 -
The wildly rebellious press across Europe are a vibrant sign of its free speech.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The rebel group’s capture of swathes of the east and valuable mineral deposits has fanned fears of a wider war.—
Reuters,
CNN,
24 Feb. 2025
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When militants led by the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham reached Damascus last December, the capital fell without a fight.—
Marwan Muasher,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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That’s a defiant stance for a horror movie to take.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2025
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Pierce answered all of them in resounding, almost defiant, fashion.—
James Boyd,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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On March 19, 2024, Huger was charged with a DUI and DWI on the counts of: negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, endangering property, life, and person, as well as recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property.—
Gabriela Silva,
TVLine,
26 Feb. 2025
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These misguided concerns are due to a willful ignorance of how and why the city is proposing to structure the payments.—
Pat Dowell,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Still facing a stubborn staffing crunch, the New York City Department of Correction will require officers to work mandatory 12-hour tours in a number of city jails, a move immediately criticized by their union.—
Graham Rayman,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2025
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Fiscal and monetary policy are walking a tightrope between weak real growth and stubborn inflation.—
William Pesek,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Contumacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contumacious. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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