1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
a handful of ungovernable students are disrupting the learning environment for everyone else
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uncontrollable
given to resisting control or discipline by others
resigned to the fact that my cat is basically is an ungovernable beast with a will of his own
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ungovernable
South Korea was becoming ungovernable; the system seemed unable to overcome intense partisan divisions and deliver any kind of policy.
—
Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2025
The result is a massively flawed information market and an increasingly ungovernable world.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
In California, the shift toward ungovernable fires in populated places has been under way for several years.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
The colonial government’s fear of ungovernable Black people still lingered, however.
—Sasha C. Wells / Made By History, TIME, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ungovernable
Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2025
The result is a massively flawed information market and an increasingly ungovernable world.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
In California, the shift toward ungovernable fires in populated places has been under way for several years.
—Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2025
The colonial government’s fear of ungovernable Black people still lingered, however.
—Sasha C. Wells / Made By History, TIME, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ungovernable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungovernable
Adjective
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The chancellor is caught between febrile bond markets worried about government debt levels across advanced economies and rebellious Labour lawmakers who recently forced the government to pull back on reforms to welfare spending.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
22 July 2025
-
Once Audrey Hepburn was seen in a pair of the prototypical capri pants, everyone wanted to own them, and de Lennart’s hero product was later donned by the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor: appreciated for its originally rebellious intentions and modern-woman appeal.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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Owners are increasingly savvy about distinguishing between controllable and uncontrollable costs.—
Tyler Christiansen,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
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After doing so, Haley couldn't contain herself and broke out in uncontrollable laughter.—
Michael Nied,
People.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Celebrate The Tradition Of Red Dirt Music Stillwater is considered the home of Red Dirt music, a gritty blend of rebel country, bluegrass, rock, and storytelling.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
31 July 2025
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An Islamic State affiliate killed more than 40 churchgoers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a region already beset by government clashes with a separate rebel group.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
28 July 2025
Adjective
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Florent, the restaurant, stayed open until 2008, when the rent became unmanageable; the building sold a few years later for $8.6 million.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
11 July 2025
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The most common reasons revolve around work-life balance, a lack of support and an unmanageable workload.—
Drew Gerber,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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On Monday, asked about the poll proposal at an unrelated event, Adams was defiant.—
Oren Oppenheim,
ABC News,
14 July 2025
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Trump's defiant response in Butler, Penn., may have fueled his big Election Day gains among male voters.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Beneath its surface were deep, dark scars—grooves cut through the rock by old lava flows, now overgrown with stubborn green.—
Tess Moormans,
Travel + Leisure,
27 July 2025
-
The fizzing reaction can help remove stubborn residues.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
27 July 2025
Adjective
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Successful solutions to other once intractable conflicts, such as the decades of sectarian and civil strife in Northern Ireland, show that enduring peace is possible only when all stakeholders are invited in.—
ZAHA HASSAN,
Foreign Affairs,
29 July 2025
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Mathematicians soon used it to make progress on all sorts of previously intractable problems.—
Joseph Howlett,
Wired News,
27 July 2025
Adjective
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Whether Hong Kong’s notoriously unruly taxi sector will buy in remains to be seen.—
Clay Chandler,
Fortune,
19 July 2025
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So far this year there have been more than 870 reports of unruly passengers on planes in the US, according to FAA data.—
Aaron Cooper,
CNN Money,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ungovernable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungovernable. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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