disobey
verb (used with or without object)
to neglect or refuse to obey.
were disobeying
-
past progressiveof disobey.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Asked about the incident, a Yangon health official said the people had to be dispersed because they were disobeying lockdown orders.
From New York Times ● Jul. 15, 2021
As he pressed the newspapers deeper into the garbage pail, Eliot felt that he and Mrs. Sen were disobeying some unspoken rule.
From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
If I'd only known, ma'am—-" "You knew well enough that you were disobeying something, though you did not know it was me.
From Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 2 by Charles Herbert Sylvester
What if she were disobeying the Compact—death to the Wicked Compact!
From Four Girls and a Compact by Annie Hamilton Donnell
She called to me before the whole room—she—" "You were disobeying the rules, Miss Ashe.
From Blue Bonnet in Boston or, Boarding-School Days at Miss North's by John Goss
