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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insubordinate
Mike Gallagher, Foreign Affairs, 26 July 2023
But even just with blueprints for the space, Culpepper tried to block out those moments in a way that made sense for the shifting power dynamics between would-be teacher and insubordinate student, alternating who appeared taller and more in control of the frame.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 21 July 2024
What’s more, a recent WFH Research study co-authored by workplace guru Nick Bloom found that frustrated managers are increasingly likely to take action against insubordinate remote workers.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 19 July 2024
Outside commentators should not necessarily read a slow-moving Pentagon as insubordinate, or a frustrated White House as unreasonable.
—Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2018
See All Example Sentences for insubordinate
Adjective
If anything, Truman waited too long to do it after MacArthur failed to anticipate or even detect the Chinese intervention and then grew increasingly insubordinate, criticizing Truman and the Joint Chiefs of Staff in his communications with Congress.
—Mike Gallagher, Foreign Affairs, 26 July 2023
But even just with blueprints for the space, Culpepper tried to block out those moments in a way that made sense for the shifting power dynamics between would-be teacher and insubordinate student, alternating who appeared taller and more in control of the frame.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 21 July 2024
What’s more, a recent WFH Research study co-authored by workplace guru Nick Bloom found that frustrated managers are increasingly likely to take action against insubordinate remote workers.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 19 July 2024
Outside commentators should not necessarily read a slow-moving Pentagon as insubordinate, or a frustrated White House as unreasonable.
—Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2018
See All Example Sentences for insubordinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insubordinate
Adjective
-
The wildly rebellious press across Europe are a vibrant sign of its free speech.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Luna will meet with rebellious Uranus in a surprising trine, bringing a jolt of excitement and unexpected revelations to your love life.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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On the battlefield, the nobles’ cavalry and superior artillery brutally cut down the rebels.—
Michael Bruening,
The Conversation,
25 Feb. 2025
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The rebels on Friday also claimed to have seized a second airport in the region, in the town of Kavumu outside Bukavu.—
JUSTIN KABUMBA,
arkansasonline.com,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
That’s a defiant stance for a horror movie to take.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2025
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Pierce answered all of them in resounding, almost defiant, fashion.—
James Boyd,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Britain, under the comparatively liberal Keir Starmer, has a rather more niche anxiety: that its citizens will leave and then return as insurgents.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
24 Jan. 2025
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Pakistani security forces killed 27 insurgents during a raid on a militant hideout, according to a statement from the country's military.—
John Mac Ghlionn,
Newsweek,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
As a symbol of the Shoah, Auschwitz obscures the courage of Jewish resisters.—
Martin Kimel,
Baltimore Sun,
26 Jan. 2025
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In the circumstances that Spain’s government has created for itself, even those most averse to change and politically hesitant can become rebels and resisters.—
R. Joseph Huddleston,
Foreign Affairs,
6 Oct. 2017
Noun
-
He’s been with them since the beginning, proving himself as a loyal friend and a valuable mutineer.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
7 Feb. 2025
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The mutineers requested political asylum but instead were imprisoned by the Cambodian government.—
Roberto Loiederman,
Baltimore Sun,
11 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is a Sunni Islamist umbrella group of oppositionist forces with ideological and organizational roots in al-Qaeda.—
Joseph Epstein,
Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2024
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Within Russia, the oppositionists’ challenges are far greater.—
Michael Kimmage,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Insubordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insubordinate. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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