defiantly
adverb
de·fi·ant·ly
di-ˈfī-ənt-lē 
dē-
: in a defiant manner : in a way that is full of or shows a disposition to challenge, resist, or fight
She spoke out defiantly against the proposed law.
As his empire crumbled amid the … scandal, he defiantly refused a graceful exit.—
Jonathan Alter
Jonathan AlterThough restrained, the women do not lack independence, and they wag their tongues as defiantly as ever.—Jason Farago
Jason FaragoExamples of defiantly in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The notable image from that summit was of Trump seated with his arms folded defiantly as then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel stared daggers at him.
—Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2025
Millennium was a defiantly weird show at a time when that wasn’t really allowed on network TV, and Henriksen was just phenomenal in it.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 13 June 2025
Both ministers responded defiantly to the travel bans and financial sanctions on Tuesday afternoon, vowing to continue their agenda and accusing Britain of echoing its colonial-era restrictions on Jewish migration to British-mandate Palestine.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 10 June 2025
But the most telling indicator that Kromer’s vision is not a 2,000-year-old biography but something fresh and vibrant is the nature of the casting itself: A rainbow of races, sexualities and gender identities that defiantly proclaims Jesus came to Earth for everyone.
—Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for defiantly
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.
Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 16 June 2025
Millennium was a defiantly weird show at a time when that wasn’t really allowed on network TV, and Henriksen was just phenomenal in it.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 13 June 2025
Both ministers responded defiantly to the travel bans and financial sanctions on Tuesday afternoon, vowing to continue their agenda and accusing Britain of echoing its colonial-era restrictions on Jewish migration to British-mandate Palestine.
—Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 10 June 2025
But the most telling indicator that Kromer’s vision is not a 2,000-year-old biography but something fresh and vibrant is the nature of the casting itself: A rainbow of races, sexualities and gender identities that defiantly proclaims Jesus came to Earth for everyone.
—Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for defiantly
Cite this Entry
“Defiantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defiantly. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share