uncooperative

adjective

Definition of uncooperativenext
as in stubborn
not willing to do what someone wants or asks for; not cooperative uncooperative children an uncooperative witness

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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 uncooperative State police alleged that Betacourt was uncooperative and refused to comply with commands. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026 Mendiola was heavily intoxicated and uncooperative when deputies arrested him, the report states. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 25 Sep. 2026 The victim was uncooperative with the investigation and refused to answer any questions into the events that had transpired, Kinda says. — Vince Basada, Sacbee.com, 7 Sep. 2026 The Los Angeles Police Department released a video that shows officers at the Valley jail manhandle an uncooperative inmate who died after he was left handcuffed with a bag over his head while laying prone on the bunk in his cell. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for uncooperative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncooperative
  1. stubborn
  2. willful
  3. defiant
  4. recalcitrant
  5. noncooperative
Adjective
  • The Federal Reserve is also hiking rates again to rein in stubborn inflation.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Pair that with five years of stubborn inflation, and workers are losing even more ground.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of stubborn
Adjective
  • On Thursday, attorneys from Jablonska's estate were trying to get access to Stevenson's financial records for the civil case, and were seeking to amend their wrongful death lawsuit to allege willful and wanton conduct and pursue punitive damages.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Taylor was later found in willful contempt for violating their divorce terms and ordered to pay $70,000 to cover Shumpert’s legal fees.
    — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of willful
Adjective
  • From men wearing pink to push back against the pressures of toxic masculinity to women pushing back against unrealistic body standards, pink has become a color of defiant empathy.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Hazlewood broke the defiant stand between Markram and Wiaan Mulder that started late Monday and endured for nearly two more hours on Tuesday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of defiant
Adjective
  • Brian is a gee-whiz irritant, with a reckless attachment to the family’s conveniently recalcitrant dog and a knack for making dangerous situations worse.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • In their recalcitrant way, the balance tips more toward the sentimental than the cynical.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 24 July 2026
Definition of recalcitrant
Adjective
  • The European Space Agency’s ClearSpace-1, planned for 2029, tackles the harder case by capturing the unprepared, noncooperative Proba-1 satellite and dragging it down to burn up.
    — Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Conversation, 22 July 2026
  • Dolphins that partnered with fishers also experienced a 13 percent boost in survival, compared with noncooperative ones, most likely because of the animals spending the majority of their time in the lagoon.
    — Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 30 Jan. 2023
Definition of noncooperative

Browse Nearby Words

uncool
uncooperative
uncoordinated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Uncooperative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncooperative. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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