as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
the junior officer was court-martialed for being insubordinate
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as in rebel
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insubordinate
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 21 July 2024
What’s more, a recent WFH Research study co-authored by workplace guru Nick Bloom found that frustrated managers are increasingly likely to take action against insubordinate remote workers.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 19 July 2024
Outside commentators should not necessarily read a slow-moving Pentagon as insubordinate, or a frustrated White House as unreasonable.
—Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2018
Intended as a more ironic and downbeat alternative to the then-burgeoning Bond franchise, this spy thriller (from the novel by Len Deighton) sees Caine as a dapper, lightly insubordinate, glasses-wearing British agent who uncovers clues to a conspiracy against the world’s scientists.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for insubordinate 
Adjective
But even just with blueprints for the space, Culpepper tried to block out those moments in a way that made sense for the shifting power dynamics between would-be teacher and insubordinate student, alternating who appeared taller and more in control of the frame.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 21 July 2024
What’s more, a recent WFH Research study co-authored by workplace guru Nick Bloom found that frustrated managers are increasingly likely to take action against insubordinate remote workers.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 19 July 2024
Outside commentators should not necessarily read a slow-moving Pentagon as insubordinate, or a frustrated White House as unreasonable.
—Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2018
Intended as a more ironic and downbeat alternative to the then-burgeoning Bond franchise, this spy thriller (from the novel by Len Deighton) sees Caine as a dapper, lightly insubordinate, glasses-wearing British agent who uncovers clues to a conspiracy against the world’s scientists.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for insubordinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insubordinate
Adjective
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The wildly rebellious press across Europe are a vibrant sign of its free speech.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN,
14 Feb. 2025
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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
Noun
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Last week, a humanitarian ceasefire announced by M23 fell apart almost immediately after it was declared, as the rebels swiftly advanced into Nyabibwe.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN,
12 Feb. 2025
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Trump could also run into problems in Congress where the Republicans have only a slim majority in both the Senate and House, meaning a small number of GOP rebels could disrupt his plans.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But rather the simple act of playing pretend, which, when done in a maximum security prison facility and by men of color specifically, can be a defiant, life-affirming and rehabilitating act in itself.—
Matt Brennan,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2025
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However, just as much as her lyrics speak to the heart, her fashion choices serve as an extension of the same values: freedom, self-empowerment, and a defiant celebration of Blackness.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The day was marked by mixed emotions as two of our volunteers, Samuel and Harut, learned that Syrian towns had fallen to insurgents after Bashar al-Assad's exit.—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
4 Feb. 2025
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Alia Shawkat stars as an aspiring actress in a military role-playing facility who falls in love with a soldier (Callum Turner) cast as an insurgent, but their unsimulated emotions threaten to derail the performance.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
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As a symbol of the Shoah, Auschwitz obscures the courage of Jewish resisters.—
Martin Kimel,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Jan. 2025
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In the circumstances that Spain’s government has created for itself, even those most averse to change and politically hesitant can become rebels and resisters.—
R. Joseph Huddleston,
Foreign Affairs,
6 Oct. 2017
Noun
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He’s been with them since the beginning, proving himself as a loyal friend and a valuable mutineer.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
7 Feb. 2025
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The mutineers requested political asylum but instead were imprisoned by the Cambodian government.—
Roberto Loiederman,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is a Sunni Islamist umbrella group of oppositionist forces with ideological and organizational roots in al-Qaeda.—
Joseph Epstein,
Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2024
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Within Russia, the oppositionists’ challenges are far greater.—
Michael Kimmage,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Sep. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near insubordinate
Cite this Entry
“Insubordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insubordinate. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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