1
as in rebellion
refusal to obey
any defiance of the authoritarian regime would have dire consequences
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in opposition
the inclination to resist
the troubled youth seems to have an ingrained defiance to authority of any sort
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel
a deeply troubled person who seemed the very soul of defiance
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defiance
Last month, demonstrators in the city of Morón set the headquarters of the Communist Party on fire—a gesture of defiance hard to imagine even just a year ago.
—
Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
That hope is a powerful statement of defiance in the face of the realities of war and the broader sentiment in Israeli and Palestinian public opinion.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
However, an artist’s innate defiance reaps the best art.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
The county, however, refused to comply with the order to close in that case and has continued operating Los Padrinos in defiance.
—Jason Henry, Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2026
That hope is a powerful statement of defiance in the face of the realities of war and the broader sentiment in Israeli and Palestinian public opinion.
—Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026
However, an artist’s innate defiance reaps the best art.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
The county, however, refused to comply with the order to close in that case and has continued operating Los Padrinos in defiance.
—Jason Henry, Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defiance
Noun
-
And, as a heterosexual couple, wasn’t living in sin our final, sole, tiny act of rebellion?—
Eva Wiseman,
Vogue,
7 May 2026
-
Call it a small rebellion against clocks—the things leftists call capitalism’s tool for controlling workers’ time—or just blame Los Angeles traffic.—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Last weekend’s 1-0 win over Leeds in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley was encouraging chiefly because, for the first time since January, Chelsea successfully managed to hold Premier League opposition at bay in relative comfort and control for an entire game.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
-
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, one of the more moderate gubernatorial candidates, has been very vocal about his opposition to the tax, warning that the measure would ultimately cost the majority of Californians and sink the state’s innovation economy.—
Douglas Schoen,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
For her, this was practically homicidal aggression.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
-
Race, bad bosses and the fly-on-the-wall fun of watching office politics and micro-aggressions play out makes this workplace suspense novel a total page-turner (as well as a binge-worthy limited television series).—
Laura Zigman,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Though the Durutti Column had been a disaster, Wilson was fascinated by the guitarist, who admired punk’s willfulness even though his own musical taste tended toward jazz, blues, and the classical tradition.—
Brad Shoup,
Pitchfork,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The 2024 opening of the facility met with some resistance from local community leaders, who had safety concerns.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
-
But although resistance is similarly futile, their goals are less about assimilation than worshipping the obsessive Grant's wife, Starla (Elizabeth Banks).—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Embiid’s aggressiveness early — along with Tyrese Maxey’s speed and ability to put defenders in bad positions — put the Knicks in unfavorable foul trouble early.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
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The team with the league’s highest payroll going down in the first round to a heavy underdog is bad for business, but Allen changed the entire dynamic with his defensive aggressiveness and rebounding.—
Jason Lloyd,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
The pseudo-goth hair and costume choices speak to an inner rebelliousness that isn’t so much unleashed as forced loose by a system that values the appearance of a mythical impartiality over her humanity, leaving her with little recourse but to step outside the confines of the law.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
23 Feb. 2026
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The natural obstinacy and rebelliousness of Israa’s teenage years are hyperaccelerated by culture clashes with both her family and the other kids around her.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Unions have aggressively answered complaints about data centers in ways that executives at tech giants and the development firms rarely do, unafraid to bluntly confront concerns about energy and water shortages, rising electric and water bills, or noise and quality-of-life objections.—
Marc Levy,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
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Apparently the main objection is that the sight lines on the Green will be affected for traffic.—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiance. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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