1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
tried to reason with the untoward child
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2
as in uncontrollable
given to resisting control or discipline by others
a program for untoward teenagers that is designed to give them the kind of discipline that their parents were unable or unwilling to administer
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3
as in adverse
opposed to one's interests
achieved great success as an artist despite growing up in a very untoward milieu
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4
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
unfortunately, one of the symptoms of dementia can be a tendency to make untoward and often shocking remarks
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of untoward
And the ratios in the new box have the right numbers—no untoward gaps to reduce your forward momentum.
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Patrick Bedard, Car and Driver, 26 Jan. 2023
Emmy Rose took a moment to think about how many of her grandmother’s songs accuse her husband, Doolittle, of untoward behavior with other women.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 2 Nov. 2022
These stories are often stitched together to hint at something untoward lurking beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 1 Nov. 2022
Believing that any untoward behavior can be compartmentalized away is a mindset of the past.
—Marie-Caroline Chauvet, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2022
See all Example Sentences for untoward 
Patrick Bedard, Car and Driver, 26 Jan. 2023
Emmy Rose took a moment to think about how many of her grandmother’s songs accuse her husband, Doolittle, of untoward behavior with other women.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 2 Nov. 2022
These stories are often stitched together to hint at something untoward lurking beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 1 Nov. 2022
Believing that any untoward behavior can be compartmentalized away is a mindset of the past.
—Marie-Caroline Chauvet, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2022
See all Example Sentences for untoward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untoward
Adjective
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Unconventional and futuristic, Aquarius pushes us to break free from tradition, encouraging bold, rebellious choices in our wardrobe.Valerie Mesa, People.com, 8 Dec. 2024
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The film follows a rebellious horse trainer named Tabitha who, after the death of her husband, tries to find some financial stability.Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The other two children suffered similar abuses and suffered from a range of behavioral issues, including panic, fearfulness, injury, difficulty focusing, night terrors, and uncontrollable crying, the families allege.Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 8 Dec. 2024
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Fear is what fuels any widespread panic, feeding off collective hysteria and growing into an uncontrollable monster.Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 18 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Blocking the deal on spurious national security grounds would invite many far more realistic, adverse national security and economic consequences.Dan Ikenson, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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Several others have been banned over the years due to adverse health effects and other issues.Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The defense also highlighted that specific allegations about inappropriate touching weren’t made until late November 2019 during the investigation.Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 11 Dec. 2024
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He was later caught sending inappropriate photos to a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina and eventually sentenced to around a year and a half behind bars for the incident.Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a rebel force and former al-Qaeda affiliate, captured Damascus on Saturday night.Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
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Moscow Confirms Syria's Assad Has Been Granted Political Asylum By Shannon McDonagh Freelance News Reporter Syria's chemical weapons are under scrutiny after rebel forces ousted President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, sparking fears of toxic materials falling into extremist hands.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But Trump’s return, and pledge to end the war quickly, has fueled concern that an unfavorable truce might be forced on Ukraine.Lorne Cook, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2024
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But now, thanks to a glut of unfavorable conditions in the U.S. housing market, boomers face a new retirement problem: affordable and accessible homes in which to age.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The final ingredient of the DOGE cocktail is the potential improper conduct of the entity itself.Lisa Gilbert and Robert Weissman, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
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Notably, the inspector general's review said there was no evidence that the investigations were influenced by politics or other improper considerations.Robert Legare, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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While the rest of the world obsesses about incorporating the color into design, technology, marketing strategies, sunglass frames and energy bras, check out these contrary colors.R. Daniel Foster, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
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Robyn was determined to be the authentic fifty-something woman who is complicated and contrary and not at all driven by being liked.Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 4 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near untoward
Cite this Entry
“Untoward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untoward. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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