1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
a handful of ungovernable students are disrupting the learning environment for everyone else
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uncontrollable
given to resisting control or discipline by others
resigned to the fact that my cat is basically is an ungovernable beast with a will of his own
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ungovernable
In its editorial, Automotive News said Stellantis might be ungovernable but was certainly in need of a major overhaul.
—
Neil Winton, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
But even Jewish-Jewish coalitions have proved ungovernable.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
The many examples of personal incompetence in rich industrial democracies generated the thesis that such countries had become ungovernable.
—Harold James, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
Waymo’s lovable and ungovernable driverless taxis aren’t playing by the rules again in San Francisco.
—Ryan Erik King / Jalopnik, Quartz, 30 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ungovernable
Neil Winton, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
But even Jewish-Jewish coalitions have proved ungovernable.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2024
The many examples of personal incompetence in rich industrial democracies generated the thesis that such countries had become ungovernable.
—Harold James, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
Waymo’s lovable and ungovernable driverless taxis aren’t playing by the rules again in San Francisco.
—Ryan Erik King / Jalopnik, Quartz, 30 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ungovernable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungovernable
Adjective
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Stefani’s style influences and stage presence have long catered to a rebellious punk-forward aesthetic.—
WWD Staff,
WWD,
20 Mar. 2025
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Still retaining the playful, rebellious connotations of the first M.A.D. Editions, the new M.A.D. 2 has another spirit. Passport: Explore the finest destinations and experiences around the world in the Forbes Passport newsletter.—
Roberta Naas,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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These fires and any new fires that ignite today can very quickly become uncontrollable.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
15 Mar. 2025
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According to the National Institute of Mental Health, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a disorder where people have uncontrollable and recurring thoughts or repetitive behaviors, or both.—
Elizabeth Stanton,
Fox News,
10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Her character evolves throughout the series from a superficial adherent to the Capitol’s cruel system to a rebel sympathizer who comes to care deeply for Katniss and Peeta, representing the potential for change even among those benefiting from oppression. 10.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Mar. 2025
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In January, the conflict sharply escalated, as Rwandan troops and their M23 rebel allies took control of Bukavu and Goma, the biggest city in eastern Congo.—
Jason K. Stearns,
TIME,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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National parks and forests lost essential personnel with many crews cut down to half, leaving critical tasks unmanageable.—
Dua Anjum,
Rolling Stone,
14 Mar. 2025
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Pompidou president Laurent Le Bon has rejected that idea as unmanageable.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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After being yelled at, children often feel defiant, defensive, and disconnected from their parent.—
Daryl Austin,
Parents,
14 Mar. 2025
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Their bleeding champion — at the time a former and future president — raises a defiant fist.—
John Scott Lewinski,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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One daughter, loving but stubborn, leaves for Vilna to study nursing.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2025
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The true top is still stubborn, though: In 2023 women made up just over 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs, 9% of the FTSE CEOs, and 5.4% of CEOs of the S&P Global Broad Market Index.—
Kweilin Ellingrud,
TIME,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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An important part of the committee’s decision has to do with the way in which an intractable, traumatic, complex, and long-standing conflict is approached through the art of comedy.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
16 Mar. 2025
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Some things in a difficult job can be resolved or eased, while others will be intractable.—
Amy Lindgren,
Twin Cities,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Airplanes have always been a hive of unruly behavior, but March has been a doozie.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN,
22 Mar. 2025
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An investigation is underway after an unruly passenger allegedly attacked another passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed.—
Stepheny Price,
Fox News,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ungovernable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungovernable. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
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