1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
unruly pupils were given detention as a matter of course
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
given to resisting control or discipline by others
a camp that was known as a place where unruly youths were given their last chance to shape up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in anarchical
not restrained by or under the control of legal authority
unruly mobs roamed the streets of the capital after the government leaders had fled
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unruly
Officials did not clarify what the individual did that was unruly, but said that it was not related to the passenger who had a medical crisis.
—
Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 25 May 2025
Some Democrats chastised universities for cracking down on unruly pro-Palestinian protests.
—Dallas Morning News, Twin Cities, 24 May 2025
In recent years, the state has cracked down on unruly behavior and ensuring that parks stay within capacity requirements.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 22 May 2025
Related Articles Throngs of people formed an unruly line outside, possibly leading passerby to believe the legendary warehouse sale had somehow been revived.
—Ari Stark, Footwear News, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unruly
Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 25 May 2025
Some Democrats chastised universities for cracking down on unruly pro-Palestinian protests.
—Dallas Morning News, Twin Cities, 24 May 2025
In recent years, the state has cracked down on unruly behavior and ensuring that parks stay within capacity requirements.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 22 May 2025
Related Articles Throngs of people formed an unruly line outside, possibly leading passerby to believe the legendary warehouse sale had somehow been revived.
—Ari Stark, Footwear News, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unruly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unruly
Adjective
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Many historians estimate that at least 15 to 20 percent of the population remained loyal to the crown, some even taking up arms against their rebellious neighbors and fighting alongside the British.—
Greg Daugherty,
Smithsonian Magazine,
4 June 2025
-
Inspired by 1953’s The Wild One starring Marlon Brando, the song and video captures the rebellious spirit of the cult classic, with scenes of a motorcycle being driven on an open road and birds in flight.—
Althea Legaspi,
Rolling Stone,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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Their relationship can be difficult as AM is stubborn and likes to have her way always.—
Carolyn Rosenblatt,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
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Rick McConnell said that this sounds like his mom, who is stubborn.—
Bella Waters,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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Yet none of this has dampened Mr. Trump’s enthusiasm for bringing U.S. influence to bear in trying to end the rebel incursion – in part because the fighting has affected a region that holds some of Congo’s main rare earth deposits.—
Ned Temko,
Christian Science Monitor,
12 June 2025
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The government in Colombia has struggled to contain violence as rebel groups try to take over territory abandoned by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia following its peace deal with the government.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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Suddenly, all their various projects seemed unmanageable.—
Jayson Greene,
Vulture,
30 May 2025
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What To Know New data from Experian revealed that Gen X and millennials were far more likely to have unmanageable debt than other generations.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 May 2025
Adjective
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Those interactions with the criminal justice system cast long financial shadows.—
Christian Weller,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate, but equally important, groups: the police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
9 June 2025
Adjective
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Kim Kardashian made a defiant walk into Paris' Palace of Justice in May, to face the criminals who held the reality star at gunpoint and robbed in 2016.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
6 June 2025
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In curating the show, Moore sought to elevate artists whose work embodies this tension while also offering something tender, vulnerable, and defiant.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease that causes uncontrollable hair loss on the scalp, face, and body.—
Shamsha Damani,
Health,
13 June 2025
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The laptop soon started doing the same thing as the other machine – with the uncontrollable cursor.—
Scott Kramer,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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Douglas McCarthy, the vocalist who hectored anarchic invective with EBM innovators Nitzer Ebb and who joined Depeche Mode keyboardist Alan Wilder’s Recoil side project, died Wednesday at the age of 58.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
12 June 2025
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Having started out in music videos btf came to everyone’s attention with the anarchic talkshow Roche and Böhmermann.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unruly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unruly. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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