INSUBORDINATE Synonyms: 141 Similar and Opposite Words

insubordinate 1 of 2

adjective

ˌin(t)-sə-ˈbȯr-də-nət

Definition of insubordinate

as in rebellious

given to resisting authority or another's control the junior officer was court-martialed for being insubordinate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

insubordinate

2 of 2

noun

as in rebel

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of insubordinate

Adjective

What is supposed to be a brief stay is extended when Pepper is deemed insubordinate by the cold and menacing staff. — Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 6 May 2026 New research shows Hinton’s premonitions about the insubordinate streak of AI may already be a reality. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2026 No one’s arc is insubordinate; no one’s emotional logic is insignificant. — Literary Hub, 24 Feb. 2026 In a coastal town on the Gulf of Mexico lives the insubordinate Daniel, the owner of a small motel. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for insubordinate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for insubordinate

Adjective

Converse and Vaquera are coming together again with a rebellious spirit.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
In the episode on the 1993 timeline, the team intervenes when a general’s rebellious teen son is targeted by a dangerous former gang member.

— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of rebellious

Noun

The war next door United Nations experts have documented Rwandan military support for M23 rebels, which have seized territory in eastern DRC.

— Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
But the rebels also have an array of relatively cheap drones, including weapons supplied by Iran, and locally made copies of Iranian attack drones.

— Frank Andrews, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of rebel

Adjective

Angry and defiant, McQueen became a full throttle juvenile delinquent, and his mother sent him to the California Junior Boys Republic in Chino.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
From men wearing pink to push back against the pressures of toxic masculinity to women pushing back against unrealistic body standards, pink has become a color of defiant empathy.

— Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of defiant

Noun

Khalilzad on Friday wrote on X that there had been reports of Pakistan arming Afghans to fight the Taliban inside Afghanistan and of the Pakistani military recruiting Afghans to fight anti-Pakistan insurgents.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
President Emmanuel Macron has been the primary target of scorn following nationwide riots that overtook Paris and other cities, but the insurgent National Rally does not want to let mainstream conservatives off the hook.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of insurgent

Noun

Adding to the uncertainty, Israel's election appeared headed for a political stalemate, with neither Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nor his main challenger, Gadi Eisenkot, securing a clear path to a governing majority.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2026
Netanyahu’s main challenger, former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, opposes Palestinian statehood and has pledged to destroy Hamas’ military wing.

— Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of challenger

Noun

In November 1971, Berkeley, California, became the first sanctuary city in the country when 12 local churches inspired the City Council to pass a resolution offering sanctuary to draft resisters.

— Menika Dirkson, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 2026
Clemson resister Dabo Swinney has driven his program into the ground.

— Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026

Definition of resister

Noun

Analysts say the clashes at the Base 101 at the Niamey international airport could have gone either way because of the mutineers’ determination and large numbers until the Russian troops stepped in.

— Chinedu Asadu, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
The fate of the mutineers was not immediately clear and authorities did not disclose any charges against them.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of mutineer

Browse Nearby Words

instruments

insubordinate

insubordinates

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Insubordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insubordinate. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of insubordinate

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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