1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
had always been the most wayward of their three children
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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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Recent Examples of wayward
Besides Arte Johnson as Tyrone, another favorite famous target of Gladys’ wayward backhand was often the head of tipsy Dean Martin during his celebrity roast TV specials.
—
Phil Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
En route to fetch his wayward sister, Dexter’s voice-over muses that Harry’s belief in good people and bad people isn’t quite right — there’s darkness in everyone.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, especially at dusk or dawn, like ducks, pheasants, deer, or maybe even a wayward fox out on an adventure.
—Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
The national blindness to the depth of Moro resentment has led Philippine politicians and policymakers to treat Moros as wayward children who can be set right through minor concessions, or if those fail, through force.
—Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wayward
Phil Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2025
En route to fetch his wayward sister, Dexter’s voice-over muses that Harry’s belief in good people and bad people isn’t quite right — there’s darkness in everyone.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, especially at dusk or dawn, like ducks, pheasants, deer, or maybe even a wayward fox out on an adventure.
—Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025
The national blindness to the depth of Moro resentment has led Philippine politicians and policymakers to treat Moros as wayward children who can be set right through minor concessions, or if those fail, through force.
—Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wayward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wayward
Adjective
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The wildly rebellious press across Europe are a vibrant sign of its free speech.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN,
14 Feb. 2025
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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
Adjective
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Still facing a stubborn staffing crunch, the New York City Department of Correction will require officers to work mandatory 12-hour tours in a number of city jails, a move immediately criticized by their union.—
Graham Rayman,
New York Daily News,
21 Feb. 2025
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The financial outlook from nation’s largest retailer, which has thrived amid stubborn inflation, delivered a jolt across the retail sector.—
Anne D’Innocenzio,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The rebel group’s capture of swathes of the east and valuable mineral deposits has fanned fears of a wider war.—
Reuters,
CNN,
24 Feb. 2025
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When militants led by the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham reached Damascus last December, the capital fell without a fight.—
Marwan Muasher,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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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
Adjective
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This includes making a claim through their Partner Liability Insurance program, or reporting guests' unruly behavior using their guest misconduct tool.—
Natalia Senanayake,
People.com,
25 Feb. 2025
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Top Five Cryptocurrency Exchanges By Saul Hudson Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member opinion 0 Crypto's spectacle is once again loud and unruly.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Or does so only briefly in the ambiguous ending, when Sofia throws off the last vestiges of her passivity and forces her recalcitrant mother into a reckoning with her condition.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
14 Feb. 2025
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In an interview from a factory floor in El Salvador on Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued that foreign aid spending does not support U.S. aims and that USAID, the main conduit for foreign assistance, has been recalcitrant.—
ByCatherine Offord,
science.org,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The most dramatic case study occurred this week, when Trump signed two executive orders instituting a tariff regime on goods entering the United States from Canada and Mexico in response to what the White House argues is an uncontrollable scourge of migrants and drugs coming from those countries.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2025
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These high winds, combined with low humidity, have created a significant fire weather risk, with forecasters warning that any ignition could lead to fast-growing, uncontrollable fires.—
Hannah Parry,
Newsweek,
7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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On March 19, 2024, Huger was charged with a DUI and DWI on the counts of: negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, endangering property, life, and person, as well as recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property.—
Gabriela Silva,
TVLine,
26 Feb. 2025
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These misguided concerns are due to a willful ignorance of how and why the city is proposing to structure the payments.—
Pat Dowell,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wayward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wayward. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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