as in stubborn
not willing to do what someone wants or asks for; not cooperative
uncooperative children an uncooperative witness
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Recent Examples of uncooperative
Resolving neighborhood disputes can take time, especially if the other party is uncooperative.
—
Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
Levi was part of an emergency response team called to Nantwi’s housing unit to help National Guard members who sought backup after Nantwi was uncooperative during a prisoner headcount.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Her sister, Jasmine (Jasmine Ashanti), a wild card auntie, arrives with wine and a saucily uncooperative attitude.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
What began as a routine call quickly escalated when officers entered the home with a property manager and encountered an uncooperative individual inside who claimed to be armed and barricaded inside, according to the Hermosa Beach Police Department.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for uncooperative
Gary Singer, Sun Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
Levi was part of an emergency response team called to Nantwi’s housing unit to help National Guard members who sought backup after Nantwi was uncooperative during a prisoner headcount.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Her sister, Jasmine (Jasmine Ashanti), a wild card auntie, arrives with wine and a saucily uncooperative attitude.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
What began as a routine call quickly escalated when officers entered the home with a property manager and encountered an uncooperative individual inside who claimed to be armed and barricaded inside, according to the Hermosa Beach Police Department.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for uncooperative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncooperative
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
Like most of what Welch says, it’s based on willful ignorance and emotion rather than facts.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
-
Assessor Gus Kramer stayed in office when a jury deadlocked on a civil grand jury accusation of willful or corrupt misconduct in office.—
East Bay Times editorial,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
An uncontrollable rise in heat was causing the water to vaporize.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
His tics are not naughty mischief, but an uncontrollable action.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Consciousness may be the most recalcitrant concept of all.—
Dan Turello,
New Yorker,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Adams had carefully shepherded it through an often-recalcitrant City Council and through the gauntlet of demands coming from both the real estate lobby and pro-housing advocates.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
1 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Uncooperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncooperative. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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