1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
unruly pupils were given detention as a matter of course
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
given to resisting control or discipline by others
a camp that was known as a place where unruly youths were given their last chance to shape up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in anarchical
not restrained by or under the control of legal authority
unruly mobs roamed the streets of the capital after the government leaders had fled
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unruly
When this occurs, the face of the film’s petite, yet unruly namesake morphs into Ao Bing’s more delicate facial features while in the same body.
—
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 2 Mar. 2025
The community is pocked by large, unruly trees and overgrown shrubbery where residents see coyotes, bobcats and once even a panther.
—Natalia Jaramillo, Orlando Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2025
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
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
See All Example Sentences for unruly
Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 2 Mar. 2025
The community is pocked by large, unruly trees and overgrown shrubbery where residents see coyotes, bobcats and once even a panther.
—Natalia Jaramillo, Orlando Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2025
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
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
See All Example Sentences for unruly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unruly
Adjective
-
Mickey, tasked with keeping her rebellious sister in line, never had the opportunity to be a kid.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
12 Mar. 2025
-
But in 1862, Congress declared that any slave with a rebellious master who reached federal lines would be free.—
Barbara Spindel,
The Christian Science Monitor,
12 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
-
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
-
The attacks started this week after reports emerged that Assad loyalists had ambushed and killed members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – the rebel group that spearheaded the rebellion that ousted the former Syrian leader.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN,
9 Mar. 2025
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The singer and the songwriter traversed the frontlines of the urban guerrilla war that had consumed the city of Homs by that point, with one half of the city overtaken by regime soldiers and the other half controlled by rebel groups.—
Jawad Rizkallah,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Pompidou president Laurent Le Bon has rejected that idea as unmanageable.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
When Natalia Grace was adopted from Ukraine into the Barnett family as a six-year-old child, no one could have foreseen that the situation would devolve into something that spurred court battles, criminal charges, and multiple documentaries and shows.—
Fortesa Latifi,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2025
-
If convicted of criminal infringement of a copyright, Strange faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.—
Carly Thomas,
The Hollywood Reporter,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
After being yelled at, children often feel defiant, defensive, and disconnected from their parent.—
Daryl Austin,
Parents,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Joking was her version of uncontrollable tears, but Dr. Fenton neither laughed nor pressed to see what was behind Lilian’s inane laughter.—
Yiyun Li,
The New Yorker,
9 Mar. 2025
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Separating benefits from employee health also allows businesses to escape uncontrollable, often double-digit, group plan renewals.—
Jack Hooper,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Fragmented on normal days, the web bordered on anarchic Monday.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
11 Mar. 2025
-
The dark chaos of Keef’s beats are obvious, but the Indianapolis producer extracts what’s also really majestic and pretty about them, and the anarchic maximalism of Back From the Dead 2 feels like his main inspiration.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unruly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unruly. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
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