as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
the junior officer was court-martialed for being insubordinate
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as in rebel
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Recent Examples of insubordinate
David Browne, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2025
Insomnia is a mark of the insubordinate imagination.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
Joey attempts to help Monica gain respect among the insubordinate kitchen staff at her new job, and things don't go well for Rachel when Chandler sets her up on a bad date with a colleague.
—Eric Todisco, People.com, 15 Dec. 2024
Instead, over-centralization has produced the opposite effect, fragmenting the bureaucracy, encouraging bureaucrats to pursue their own interests, and enabling regional elites to become increasingly insubordinate—with Ramzan Kadyrov, Putin’s strongman in Chechnya, being the prime example.
—Alexander J. Motyl, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2016
See All Example Sentences for insubordinate
Noun
At the start of its fourth season, SNL was no longer the insubordinate new kid on the block.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2025
Insomnia is a mark of the insubordinate imagination.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
Joey attempts to help Monica gain respect among the insubordinate kitchen staff at her new job, and things don't go well for Rachel when Chandler sets her up on a bad date with a colleague.
—Eric Todisco, People.com, 15 Dec. 2024
Instead, over-centralization has produced the opposite effect, fragmenting the bureaucracy, encouraging bureaucrats to pursue their own interests, and enabling regional elites to become increasingly insubordinate—with Ramzan Kadyrov, Putin’s strongman in Chechnya, being the prime example.
—Alexander J. Motyl, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2016
See All Example Sentences for insubordinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insubordinate
Adjective
-
The third book in the Luna Sisters series follows the journey to love for the youngest and most rebellious Luna sister, Gabriela.—
Mia Sosa,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
-
Meanwhile, Gemma’s niece Cady (McGraw) is now 14, a rebellious teenager living under Gemma’s overprotective rules.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But in a region being fought over by a patchwork of anti-junta rebel groups, the military and pro-military militia – and given the widespread distrust of the Rohingya – information on where exactly his family are, or what will become of them, has not been forthcoming.—
Esha Mitra,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
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By the finale, the galactic chessboard is crowded with players—emperors, rebels, prophets, impostors—but as Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) warned in the very first episode, the center cannot hold.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The album’s emotional palette fluidly shifts between defiant bravado and glum recognition that the big dream was more than likely to crash and burn.—
Jesse Adams,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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This defiant guy decided to use a huge lumber pile as his roost for days.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This new generation of outlets has also begun to shape the political conversation on the left, helping boost insurgent challengers to the Democratic establishment.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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Perfect for pondering what’s more human than human or planning insurgent actions against a cruel imperial apparatus.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In the main event, recent UFC featherweight title challenger Diego Lopes faces the surging Jean Silva, who is undefeated since joining the UFC in 2024.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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As part of the agreement, Carlyle branding will be featured on the Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 challenger and across key team assets, including the car chassis, drivers’ team kit, pit wall and garage environment.—
Sportico Staff,
Sportico.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The answer is that France at this time was attempting to heal its wartime wounds, papering over the cracks in the social fabric that had opened up during the German Occupation and positioning itself as a nation of resisters, in which collaborators had been few and aberrant.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 July 2025
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Many war resisters, or draft dodgers as they were often called by others, were not interested in returning when Mr. Carter made his amnesty offer.—
Ruth Fremson,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Noun
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Few among the bureaucratic, business, and even military elites denounced the mutineers, exposing limited support for Putin.—
ANDREI YAKOVLEV,
Foreign Affairs,
16 May 2025
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He’s been with them since the beginning, proving himself as a loyal friend and a valuable mutineer.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The uniform of the conformist — sports shirt, cardigan, tennis shoes — is as easily recognized as that of the recusant — dirty white T, sideburns, two days’ growth of beard.—
Chris Jones,
chicagotribune.com,
15 July 2019
Cite this Entry
“Insubordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insubordinate. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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