1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
the restive horse threw its head and refused to move when the rider urged it forward
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in restless
lacking or denying rest
spent a restive night worrying about the next day's exam
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of restive
Protests also were reported Friday in Zahedan in Iran’s restive southwestern Sistan and Baluchestan province.
—
Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Protests continue Friday Demonstrators took to the streets Friday in Zahedan in Iran’s restive Sistan and Baluchestan province on the border with Pakistan.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Demonstrators took to the streets in Zahedan in Iran’s restive Sistan and Baluchestan province on the border with Pakistan.
—Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
The 36-year-old New Yorker positions herself as a fighter against the political establishment — a potentially potent appeal in a restive nation, especially to younger voters.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for restive
Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Protests continue Friday Demonstrators took to the streets Friday in Zahedan in Iran’s restive Sistan and Baluchestan province on the border with Pakistan.
—Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Demonstrators took to the streets in Zahedan in Iran’s restive Sistan and Baluchestan province on the border with Pakistan.
—Dallas Morning News, 2 Jan. 2026
The 36-year-old New Yorker positions herself as a fighter against the political establishment — a potentially potent appeal in a restive nation, especially to younger voters.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for restive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for restive
Adjective
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The 8-episode first season charts the improbable ascent of Joe and Rose Kennedy and their nine children, including rebellious second son Jack, who struggles to escape the shadow of his golden boy older brother.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
27 Mar. 2026
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In a mountain resort, rebellious snowboarders uncover a nuclear conspiracy in a uranium mine.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Leo moon sparks your restless desires for fun and adventure.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
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Deep inside every atom lies a restless world of quarks and gluons—the tiny building blocks that hold everything together, from rocks to stars.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In a message Monday on X, Sánchez said that so far there were no signs indicating that the plane was attacked by rebel groups that operate near Puerto Leguizamo.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026
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Petro, a leftist who was a member of a rebel group in his youth, has attempted to stage peace talks with Colombia’s remaining rebel groups under a strategy known as total peace.—
Manuel Rueda,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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If anything, the regime is more defiant, belligerent, and brazen, determined to prevail at any cost.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
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Rejecting that, Zuckerberg’s defiant testimony saw the billionaire, who doesn’t let his own kids use his products, admitting Instagram, for example, had few guardrails and not much of anything in terms of anage verification system until just a few years ago.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Across the Rockies and beyond, many of our favorite mountains were haunted by unseasonably warm spikes and stubborn weather patterns that shut out snow for weeks on end.—
Kristen Geil,
Outside,
31 Mar. 2026
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For stubborn blockages, a plumber’s snake can help break things loose.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Restive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/restive. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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