as in rebellion
refusal to obey laws as a way of forcing the government to do or change something
In an act of civil disobedience, the family sent its tax money to an antiwar organization. A student organization is encouraging civil disobedience as a way to get the university to change its policies.
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Recent Examples of civil disobedience
So civil disobedience and noncompliance are indeed justified.
—
Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 26 Jan. 2026
Experts say while some practices by volunteers are acts of nonviolent civil disobedience, others may fall into murkier legal territory.
—Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
Together, these houses of worship helped form the start of what became the Sanctuary Movement in America, a moment of interfaith civil disobedience that spread across the country.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2026
No matter what the circumstances, ICE is no more sacrosanct than any other law enforcement agency, and there’s no death penalty for civil disobedience.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil disobedience
Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 26 Jan. 2026
Experts say while some practices by volunteers are acts of nonviolent civil disobedience, others may fall into murkier legal territory.
—Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 22 Jan. 2026
Together, these houses of worship helped form the start of what became the Sanctuary Movement in America, a moment of interfaith civil disobedience that spread across the country.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2026
No matter what the circumstances, ICE is no more sacrosanct than any other law enforcement agency, and there’s no death penalty for civil disobedience.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for civil disobedience
Recent Examples of Synonyms for civil disobedience
Noun
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But the rebellion has also spurred a race to the bottom.—
Laura K. Field,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
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Confederate sympathizers carved up the old design, claiming the red-and-white Crossland pattern to signal rebellion loyalty.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Some Iranians keep showing defiance anyway.—
Sanam Mahoozi Arlette Bashizi Saumya Khandelwal Stephen Marche,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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For the next 47 years the ban stood, though a few skaters still performed backflips in competition as a show of defiance.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Nevertheless, some common, noncooperation policies have existed in a handful of places, including Charlotte, where the police don't help with immigration enforcement.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Nov. 2025
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Some might argue that for middle America conditions are not yet painful enough, socially or economically, to inspire sustained noncooperation.—
Michael Shank,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Civil disobedience.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/civil%20disobedience. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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