1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
had always been the most wayward of their three children
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
given to resisting control or discipline by others
an institution to which wayward teens were often sent
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wayward
Baldwin has done it while playing the most difficult and demanding position on the diamond, mentally in terms of daily meetings and film study, and physically from the toll of working beneath pads in the summer heat and getting nicked up from foul tips, collisions and occasional wayward swings.
—
David O'Brien, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2025
Usually, sitting close to the action means dodging wayward balls and soaking up the adrenaline of live play.
—Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
The best cure for the chaos in his mind turns out to be channelling his wayward thoughts into writing.
—Emily Witt, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2025
Jamie Lee Curtis plays her supportive aunt, while Woody Harrelson is Ella’s (Mackey) wayward father, and Rebecca Hall is her late mother.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wayward
David O'Brien, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2025
Usually, sitting close to the action means dodging wayward balls and soaking up the adrenaline of live play.
—Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
The best cure for the chaos in his mind turns out to be channelling his wayward thoughts into writing.
—Emily Witt, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2025
Jamie Lee Curtis plays her supportive aunt, while Woody Harrelson is Ella’s (Mackey) wayward father, and Rebecca Hall is her late mother.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wayward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wayward
Adjective
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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
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Meanwhile, Gemma’s niece Cady (McGraw) is now 14, a rebellious teenager living under Gemma’s overprotective rules.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Inflation is stubborn, unemployment is rising and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has even confirmed that Gen Z grads just can’t get a break right now.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
19 Sep. 2025
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Clean With Vinegar And Dish Soap Dish soap cuts through grease and grime to make removing stubborn dirt easier.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Offering a complete range of tailored clothing, leather jackets, footwear, and accessories, JV denotes the taste of high fashion with a rebel aesthetic.—
Cassell Ferere,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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The rebel run is the biggest of them all.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
6 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
Adjective
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Food-storage-container management Tame an unruly collection of food storage containers by taking all of them out, matching the lids to their containers, and getting rid of any pieces that are missing their other half or that are damaged.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
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International headlines often paint Haiti as a nation gripped by crisis — from political unrest and economic hardship to uncertainty about the future and unruly crime.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Congress remains recalcitrant to gun reform even after the gruesome scenes at Parkland, Uvalde, and Sandy Hook.—
John J. Donohue,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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With Iranian power and influence waning, and with the challenges of an ascendant China and a recalcitrant Russia necessarily dominating the American national security agenda, indifference may appear to be the most appealing option for Washington.—
Suzanne Maloney,
Foreign Affairs,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Research by John Gottman and colleagues shows that the most stable couples are those who can repair quickly after a rupture, within three minutes of a conflict, to be precise, so as to pre-emptively stop the conflict from rupturing into an uncontrollable one.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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See a doctor if your bumps do not improve with home care or if the itching is uncontrollable.—
Carrie Madormo,
Health,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Penalties can apply even if the omission wasn’t willful.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Maybe this willful disregard for someone’s wishes, particularly about their home, is part of some larger family dynamic.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Denver Post,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wayward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wayward. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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