unruly
adjective
un·ruly
ˌən-ˈrü-lē 
unrulier; unruliest
: not readily ruled, disciplined, or managed
an unruly crowd
a mane of unruly hair
unruliness
noun
Examples of unruly in a Sentence
unruly pupils were given detention as a matter of course
a camp that was known as a place where unruly youths were given their last chance to shape up
Recent Examples on the Web
The title track of At The Beach, In Every Life closes the album with an encapsulation of Perez’s worldview, full of passion, disappointment and unruly thoughts that run into each other over the course of the song.
—
Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 25 Apr. 2025
Law enforcement must contend with unruly parties — some which feature 1,000 people — across city limits simultaneously thrown by fraternities and other organizations without permits, Henry said.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2025
After the 6th Street Viaduct was triumphantly unveiled, its hype quickly gave way to unruly street takeovers and copper thieves wire-stripping its lighting.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
What’s so fun about unpacking all of this [is] to actually know that, for example, the Greeks thought that women shouldn’t vote or be allowed to have political power because of their uteruses, which were thought to be a site of unruly power.
—Mara Santilli, Flow Space, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unruly
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 25 Apr. 2025
Law enforcement must contend with unruly parties — some which feature 1,000 people — across city limits simultaneously thrown by fraternities and other organizations without permits, Henry said.
—Ishani Desai, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2025
After the 6th Street Viaduct was triumphantly unveiled, its hype quickly gave way to unruly street takeovers and copper thieves wire-stripping its lighting.
—Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
What’s so fun about unpacking all of this [is] to actually know that, for example, the Greeks thought that women shouldn’t vote or be allowed to have political power because of their uteruses, which were thought to be a site of unruly power.
—Mara Santilli, Flow Space, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unruly
Cite this Entry
“Unruly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unruly. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unruly
adjective
un·ruly
ˌən-ˈrü-lē
ˈən-
unrulier; unruliest
: not yielding easily to rule or restriction : uncontrollable
an unruly temper
an unruly horse
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share