unruly
adjective
un·ruly
ˌən-ˈrü-lē 
unrulier; unruliest
: not readily ruled, disciplined, or managed
an unruly crowd
a mane of unruly hair
unruliness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of unruly in a Sentence
unruly pupils were given detention as a matter of course
a camp that was known as a place where unruly youths were given their last chance to shape up
Recent Examples on the Web
Many of the protests on campuses have been peaceful, though there have been reports of unruly behavior by outside parties on the periphery of such demonstrations.
—
Patrick Smith, NBC News, 26 Apr. 2024
It's crafted with nourishing ingredients like cocoa and shea butter to moisturize and condition the beard, all while controlling unruly hair.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
Brazen and unruly, Tedra is a sensual handful, grinding to the music one minute, teaching her son the tricks of how to hold onto a man the next.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Donald Trump is giving the country another unruly moment to mark.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
Chandler takes aim at brass knuckles, unruly parties in response to 'Goons' attacks Controversial Laveen development Gila Foothills moves forward with car dealers, hospital What's next for Chase Field?
—The Arizona Republic, 9 Apr. 2024
Rose of Sharon blooms on new wood each year, so if the shape is a bit unruly or has gotten a bit too tall for the space or too close to a structure, by all means prune it now or by early May.
—Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2024
In retrospect, the integer distance problem was waiting for mathematicians who were willing to consider more unruly curves than hyperbolas and then draw on recondite tools from algebraic geometry and number theory to tame them.
—Quanta Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024
There was a 492% increase in unruly passenger incidents between 2020 and 2021, when there were 5,973 reported.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024
Patrick Smith, NBC News, 26 Apr. 2024
It's crafted with nourishing ingredients like cocoa and shea butter to moisturize and condition the beard, all while controlling unruly hair.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024
Brazen and unruly, Tedra is a sensual handful, grinding to the music one minute, teaching her son the tricks of how to hold onto a man the next.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Donald Trump is giving the country another unruly moment to mark.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
Chandler takes aim at brass knuckles, unruly parties in response to 'Goons' attacks Controversial Laveen development Gila Foothills moves forward with car dealers, hospital What's next for Chase Field?
—The Arizona Republic, 9 Apr. 2024
Rose of Sharon blooms on new wood each year, so if the shape is a bit unruly or has gotten a bit too tall for the space or too close to a structure, by all means prune it now or by early May.
—Betty Cahill, The Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2024
In retrospect, the integer distance problem was waiting for mathematicians who were willing to consider more unruly curves than hyperbolas and then draw on recondite tools from algebraic geometry and number theory to tame them.
—Quanta Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024
There was a 492% increase in unruly passenger incidents between 2020 and 2021, when there were 5,973 reported.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unruly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near unruly
Cite this Entry
“Unruly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unruly. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
unruly
adjective
un·ruly
ˌən-ˈrü-lē
ˈən-
unrulier; unruliest
: not yielding easily to rule or restriction : uncontrollable
an unruly temper
an unruly horse
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