uncontrollable

adjective

ˌən-kən-ˈtrō-lə-bəl How to pronounce uncontrollable (audio)
Definition of uncontrollablenext
as in stubborn
given to resisting control or discipline by others the uncontrollable child kept throwing tantrums in public and creating scenes

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 uncontrollable The cold water gasp reflex is completely involuntary and uncontrollable. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2026 An uncontrollable laugh when tickled is vastly different from a polite laugh in a meeting, an infectious laugh during a movie, or a nervous little giggle after making a mistake. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 June 2026 She was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago, a neurological disorder that damages brain cells, leading to symptoms like uncontrollable movements, tremors, and balance issues. — Madeline Montgomery, CBS News, 3 June 2026 There are many uncontrollable factors such as settling into a new environment, family issues and injuries, how fast a player adapts, how their pathway can become blocked by the emergence of others in their position, and different coaches having different opinions of players. — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for uncontrollable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncontrollable
  1. stubborn
  2. unmanageable
  3. ungovernable
  4. intractable
  5. unruly
  6. willful
  7. rebellious
  8. wayward
Adjective
  • Colombia earned its passage into the round of 16 with a 1-0 win over stubborn Ghana.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Pickle Robot’s Physical AI unloaders tackle the dock door bottleneck, which is a stubborn pain point in inbound logistics, while AmbiStack handles the structured, high-volume stacking that feeds downstream operations.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 6 July 2026
Definition of stubborn
Adjective
  • Continue contributing enough to capture any employer match, prioritize paying off high-rate debt and explore debt relief options if your balances have become unmanageable.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • Unkempt vines will continue to grow vigorously and become unmanageable.
    — Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2026
Definition of unmanageable
Adjective
  • While founder control is cited for long-term vision, the piece suggests alternative models like steward-ownership could foster accountability without sacrificing strategic focus, urging regulators to adapt to this new era of concentrated, potentially ungovernable corporate power.
    — Mary Johnstone-Louis, Forbes.com, 20 June 2026
  • The vampiric Goldman Sachs that Taibbi describes is an institution, a system that became too big to fail, and thus ungovernable.
    — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 20 June 2026
Definition of ungovernable
Adjective
  • For as long as the American Dream has been around, homeownership was considered an intractable piece of the wealth-building puzzle.
    — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 30 June 2026
  • Two Ships is thus a narrative for our time, when the aspirational vision of oneness has given way to intractable twoness.
    — James Traub, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
Definition of intractable
Adjective
  • Several North Lake Tahoe beaches will be closed Saturday evening during the July 4 holiday due to what law enforcement officials described as unruly crowds of visiting teenagers.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 4 July 2026
  • Britain, arguably, decided to cut its losses with the unruly thirteen colonies to better safeguard its more lucrative possessions in the Caribbean and South Asia.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
Definition of unruly
Adjective
  • In 2018, the IRS closed the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP), ending the formal disclosure program designed primarily for taxpayers with potential criminal exposure or willful violations relating to unreported offshore holdings.
    — Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Federal law generally prohibits direct service connection for addiction classified as resulting from willful misconduct.
    — Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 29 June 2026
Definition of willful
Adjective
  • For seven seasons, a hodgepodge crew mixing Starfleet and the rebellious Maquis put aside their differences after they got zapped 70,000 lightyears away from Earth, deep into the uncharted Delta Quadrant.
    — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 4 July 2026
  • This could bring about sudden ideas, or trigger rebellious impulses and creative imagination.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 26 June 2026
Definition of rebellious
Adjective
  • The Legislature has repeatedly rejected stiffer criminal penalties for wayward operators and stymied efforts to let cities or counties pick up enforcement slack when state inspectors are overburdened.
    — Teri Sforza, Oc Register, 5 July 2026
  • The National Fire Protection Association encourages everyone to leave the fireworks to the professionals who are prepared to manage any wayward sparks.
    — Lauren Lowman, The Conversation, 29 June 2026
Definition of wayward

Browse Nearby Words

uncontrived
uncontrollable
uncontrollably
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Uncontrollable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncontrollable. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on uncontrollable

Nglish: Translation of uncontrollable for Spanish Speakers

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