1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
a handful of ungovernable students are disrupting the learning environment for everyone else
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uncontrollable
given to resisting control or discipline by others
resigned to the fact that my cat is basically is an ungovernable beast with a will of his own
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ungovernable
South Korea was becoming ungovernable; the system seemed unable to overcome intense partisan divisions and deliver any kind of policy.
—
Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2025
The result is a massively flawed information market and an increasingly ungovernable world.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
In California, the shift toward ungovernable fires in populated places has been under way for several years.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
The colonial government’s fear of ungovernable Black people still lingered, however.
—Sasha C. Wells / Made By History, TIME, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ungovernable
Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2025
The result is a massively flawed information market and an increasingly ungovernable world.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
In California, the shift toward ungovernable fires in populated places has been under way for several years.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
The colonial government’s fear of ungovernable Black people still lingered, however.
—Sasha C. Wells / Made By History, TIME, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ungovernable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungovernable
Adjective
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The Opry had been wary of Cash's rebellious ways for some time, but this was the final straw.—
Audrey Gibbs,
The Tennessean,
28 Aug. 2025
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Cole is the rebellious cool older brother with a secret heart of gold, while Alex is the reliable nerdy and sweet one who wants to come out from Cole's shadow.—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Now, however, the United States is spiraling into a rapid and uncontrollable drawdown of its assets, pursuing short-term goals at the expense of long-term objectives.—
HENRY FARRELL,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Aug. 2025
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The development also sparked an even bigger discussion about growth in Concord becoming uncontrollable.—
Desiree Mathurin,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Originally, the many rebel groups fighting Assad’s forces included both secular and Islamic militias.—
Rami Zeedan,
The Conversation,
11 Aug. 2025
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After all, in Andor, a rebel alliance pushes back against an emperor.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In fact, unfortunately, some organizations can even find themselves with extensive, unmanageable cloud environments and the same technical debt that plagued their on-premise counterparts.—
Harvendra Singh,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
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Given the vast amounts of data generated by body cameras daily, automating video review has the potential to turn unmanageable archives into active insights.—
Logan Seacrest,
Boston Herald,
16 July 2025
Adjective
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But New Delhi has been defiant, saying that Russian oil is necessary for the energy security of its 1.4 billion-strong population.—
Anna Cooban,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
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The character’s defiant self-possession would unnerve even a more contemporary patriarchy, and challenge family dynamics in any era.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The Myth That Won’t Die: 'Nobody Scrolls' For years, there’s been this stubborn idea in web design that everything important has to be above the fold.—
Talie Smith,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
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Fire signs are assertive, passionate and creative; Earth signs are dependable, stubborn and grounded; Air signs are curious intellectuals with a knack for socializing, and Water signs are known to tap into universal undercurrents, navigating emotions.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Still, Iran’s distrust of Western countries and the endurance of the regime under dire circumstances mean that even this tool will have limited efficacy in terms of constraining an intractable Iranian leadership.—
Suzanne Maloney,
Foreign Affairs,
6 Aug. 2025
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This presents a promising path for delivering systems with the large numbers of logical qubits necessary to solve today’s intractable problems.—
Paul Terry,
Forbes.com,
17 July 2025
Adjective
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Root for the Ravens, watch a satire of a popular cops and lawyers TV show, go to a classic rock concert, learn about Baltimore’s unruly past or see the return of the first summer blockbuster that urged you not to go into the water.—
John Coffren,
Baltimore Sun,
21 Aug. 2025
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In the teaser, some of the department's patients include a newborn baby and an unruly person thrashing around in an ambulance.—
Julia Moore,
People.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ungovernable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungovernable. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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