1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
an intractable child who deliberately does the opposite of whatever he is told
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
given to resisting control or discipline by others
cats are by nature fairly intractable animals
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intractable
Fresh off its unqualified diplomatic successes with the Russians, the Iranians, and Hamas’s terrorists and their intermediaries, the Trump administration is reportedly gearing up to resolve another of the world’s seemingly intractable conundrums: North Korea and its nuclear arsenal.
—
Noah Rothman, National Review, 28 Apr. 2025
Overdose deaths in the United States fell by nearly 30,000 last year, the government reported on Wednesday, the strongest sign yet that the country is making progress against one of its deadliest, most intractable public health crises.
—Jan Hoffman, New York Times, 15 May 2025
And that represented a historic decline to an intractable problem.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
The true test will be how Kennedy and his movement deals with much more pressing, and intractable, challenges in the American diet.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intractable
Noah Rothman, National Review, 28 Apr. 2025
Overdose deaths in the United States fell by nearly 30,000 last year, the government reported on Wednesday, the strongest sign yet that the country is making progress against one of its deadliest, most intractable public health crises.
—Jan Hoffman, New York Times, 15 May 2025
And that represented a historic decline to an intractable problem.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
The true test will be how Kennedy and his movement deals with much more pressing, and intractable, challenges in the American diet.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intractable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intractable
Adjective
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These two regions are no longer promising New World upstarts or rebellious outposts of Bordeaux.—
Jessica Dupuy,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
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Meanwhile, Paul finds himself in a work crisis that puts the lifestyle of Julie and their rebellious son Russ (Simon Webster) in jeopardy, leading Julie back to the dopey sweetness of Carey.—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
Jet fuel rolled down the street and the smell of it lingered in the air while authorities worked to extinguish one stubborn car fire that sent smoke billowing up.—
John Hanna,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2025
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Of course, stubborn coach Tom Thibodeau went with his only play, a Jalen Brunson iso, while the starters huffed and puffed from playing nearly the entire game.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
President Trump met with former rebel leader turned new president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2025
-
Incidents of violence by rebel groups fell from 1,936 in 2010 to 374 in 2024, according to data from the home ministry.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
In fact, too much change at once becomes unmanageable noise.—
Kathleen Walch,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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Freedom Debt Relief offers a five-step program to alleviate unmanageable debt without charging sign-up fees.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
Adjective
-
Bowser’s shifting response on immigration matters is one of a number of ways the mayor, a leading figure in the Democratic resistance during Trump’s first term, is now striking a less defiant tone.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
28 May 2025
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Moxley took out Nightingale to massive heat, and Omega hit a snap-dragon suplex on a defiant Marina Shafir.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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In response, these recalcitrant members of Congress simply refused to adopt must-pass federal reapportionment legislation.—
Made by History,
Time,
2 Apr. 2025
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Among Congressional Republicans, Paul has been more recalcitrant than most.—
Eric Cortellessa,
TIME,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Baldwin feels that such a response in the face of violence has to be a posture, an outright lie or a willful evasiveness.—
Andrew Moore,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
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Reyes-Estrada was booked on suspicion of murder and willful harm and injury to a child likely to produce great bodily injury and is being held without bail, according to the news release.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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Research shows that people under stress are more likely to give up, but only when the situation feels uncontrollable.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
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Entire neighborhoods are retrofitted with clear glass domes that activate during extreme rainstorms and uncontrollable wildfires.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Intractable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intractable. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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