1
as in rebellious
given to resisting authority or another's control
the manager worried that the recalcitrant employee would try to undermine his authority
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stubborn
given to resisting control or discipline by others
a heart-to-heart talk with the recalcitrant youth revealed that he had a troubled life at home
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Recent Examples of recalcitrant
The president’s biggest tool has been his willingness to impose high tariffs or punitive sanctions on the recalcitrant parties, showing that the United States’ vast economic power can be as useful as its military might in ending sticky conflicts.
—
Robert C. O’Brien, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2025
Ukraine has seen Europe step financially and militarily into the void left by America, and then seen the same recalcitrant White House offer them its best missiles.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
William meanwhile remained recalcitrant.
—Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Congress remains recalcitrant to gun reform even after the gruesome scenes at Parkland, Uvalde, and Sandy Hook.
—John J. Donohue, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for recalcitrant
Robert C. O’Brien, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2025
Ukraine has seen Europe step financially and militarily into the void left by America, and then seen the same recalcitrant White House offer them its best missiles.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
William meanwhile remained recalcitrant.
—Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Congress remains recalcitrant to gun reform even after the gruesome scenes at Parkland, Uvalde, and Sandy Hook.
—John J. Donohue, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for recalcitrant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recalcitrant
Adjective
-
The film explores the iconic partnership between Fonteyn, a 42-year-old prima ballerina and Britain’s most famous dancer, and Rudolf Nureyev, the 23-year-old rebellious Soviet defector who became her partner on stage (and, it was rumored, off it as well).—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2026
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When the skyscraper where Rayburn and his family lives is destroyed in an explosion, Creasy attempts to regain his military prowess in his determination to protect Rayburn’s rebellious teen daughter Poe (Billie Boullet), who has been targeted by the terrorists.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Jared Speight is a stubborn titan of Long Island abstraction when star writer Roxy Margaux first becomes infatuated with his bravado.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
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For concrete or tile, a mild cleaner helps remove the stubborn pollen film that builds up over spring months.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The camp was established in December 2025 to accommodate the Congolese fleeing the rebel advance on Uvira, which prompted Burundi to close the Gatumba border crossing.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
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In December 2024, a rebel offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham swept through the country with stunning speed, toppling the Assad regime that had ruled Syria since 1970.—
Steve H. Hanke,
Fortune,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Instead of backing off of their support for the proposal, its Republican supporters are digging in — a sign of how intractable the fight over immigration policy is, even among Trump-supporting Republicans.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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Commodity flows from the Persian Gulf are back at a near-standstill, a reminder of the intractable nature of the war in Iran.—
Weilun Soon,
Bloomberg,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In her first public appearance since leaving Congress, Cherfilus-McCormick struck a defiant tone, framing her situation as a setback rather than an ending.—
WPEC Staff,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Apr. 2026
-
While Metcalf’s Linda adopts a facade of stoicism to shield her family from the grief erupting in her, Abbott’s Biff is forced to reveal the broken man behind the defiant veneer.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
These warm hundreds of tonnes of refractory bricks to temperatures up to 1,500 °C.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Oct. 2025
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This is, by far, the most common TES approach in industry, with most companies using legacy technologies like refractory bricks and molten salt to store heat in insulated shipping containers.—
Erik Kobayashi-Solomon,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Bernthal, who plays Sonny, has his own wayward machismo and hapless sensitivity, the very qualities that made Al Pacino unforgettable in the role of the bungling bandit with a Catholic conscience.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Neaten your shrubs by removing any awkward or wayward growth.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
An uncontrollable rise in heat was causing the water to vaporize.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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His tics are not naughty mischief, but an uncontrollable action.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Recalcitrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recalcitrant. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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