as in ignoring
to go against the commands, prohibitions, or rules of
students who disobey their teachers and use cell phones in class drivers who consistently disobey traffic laws
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Recent Examples of disobeying
The country's Supreme Court of Justice removed him from office in 2017 and sentenced him to prison for disobeying a court order to remove barricades during protests against the government of then-President Nicolás Maduro.
—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 31 Jan. 2026
The driver, identified as 50-year-old Dawn Dubois, was arrested and charged with operating under the Influence, disobeying the signal of an officer and failure to drive in proper lane, according to state police.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 29 Jan. 2026
But German General Dietrich von Choltitz is credited with disobeying Hitler’s command.
—Sally Susman, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
The fact that on this occasion senior officers chose a very light touch, preserving still-new representative institutions while not directly disobeying a direct presidential order, is extraordinary – and deserves far more comment and commendation than has been received.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
The mayor and governor of Minnesota need to be investigated for causing chaos in the streets, disobeying federal laws and causing riots at the expense of a deceased person.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2026
The plaintiffs disagreed, accusing the department of disobeying Cobb’s prior order.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 12 Jan. 2026
In response, the Indiana chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents Pakota Valley, filed a new lawsuit against the policy and filed a motion alleging the city is disobeying court orders.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 6 Jan. 2026
He is also accused of disobeying a superior officer and making a false official statement.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 9 Dec. 2025
Patricia Gallagher Newberry, Cincinnati Enquirer, 31 Jan. 2026
The driver, identified as 50-year-old Dawn Dubois, was arrested and charged with operating under the Influence, disobeying the signal of an officer and failure to drive in proper lane, according to state police.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 29 Jan. 2026
But German General Dietrich von Choltitz is credited with disobeying Hitler’s command.
—Sally Susman, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
The fact that on this occasion senior officers chose a very light touch, preserving still-new representative institutions while not directly disobeying a direct presidential order, is extraordinary – and deserves far more comment and commendation than has been received.
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2026
The mayor and governor of Minnesota need to be investigated for causing chaos in the streets, disobeying federal laws and causing riots at the expense of a deceased person.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2026
The plaintiffs disagreed, accusing the department of disobeying Cobb’s prior order.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 12 Jan. 2026
In response, the Indiana chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which represents Pakota Valley, filed a new lawsuit against the policy and filed a motion alleging the city is disobeying court orders.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 6 Jan. 2026
He is also accused of disobeying a superior officer and making a false official statement.
—Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA Today, 9 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disobeying
Verb
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Some readers refuse to join one, stubbornly persisting in flipping to one section and ignoring the rest.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
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Hustle culture praised women for ignoring their instincts in the name of productivity.—
Kelly Ehlers,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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After Conley admitted to violating parole in federal court on Monday, Hall revoked his supervised release and sentenced him to 21 months in or with no supervised release to follow.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
11 Feb. 2026
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Wiener is also pushing new legislation — called the No Kings Act — that would allow people in California to sue federal agents for violating their rights.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And the narrative is eking out slowly, defying the notion that contemporary scandals are contained within brief news cycles.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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Neither did the other women obsessed not just with the lung-searing, leg-burning intensity of a cross-country ski race, but also with the gravity-defying, jaw-dropping sensation of flying.—
Rebecca Tauber,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Claude, Anthropic’s chatbot, released multiple ads earlier this month mocking OpenAI for its decision to display ads on ChatGPT.—
Max Rego,
The Hill,
12 Feb. 2026
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The only notable Paxton campaign TV spot has been centered around an AI video mocking Cornyn.—
Joseph Morton,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Pearce later crashed his vehicle and was accused of resisting arrest.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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Franco and Proni kept the circulation intuitive, resisting any intervention that might interrupt the architecture’s original flow.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disobeying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disobeying. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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