1
as in rebellion
refusal to obey
any defiance of the authoritarian regime would have dire consequences
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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
Mulcahy and Chao had cited Fernandes Anderson’s media interviews, her defiance of calls from the mayor and five councilors to resign for months after her arrest, and the latest use of her public platform to endorse a City Council candidate seeking her former seat.
—
Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
Chinese President Xi Jinping greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Beijing in a major show of unity and defiance against what all three see as a unipolar world illegitimately dominated by the United States.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
These practices nurture a feeling of safety and defiance, Stewart argues.
—Danielle Amir Jackson, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
The following year, in defiance of federal desegregation orders, Faubus shut down all Little Rock high schools — denying thousands of students of all races access to a free and public education.
—Time, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
Chinese President Xi Jinping greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Beijing in a major show of unity and defiance against what all three see as a unipolar world illegitimately dominated by the United States.
—Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
These practices nurture a feeling of safety and defiance, Stewart argues.
—Danielle Amir Jackson, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
The following year, in defiance of federal desegregation orders, Faubus shut down all Little Rock high schools — denying thousands of students of all races access to a free and public education.
—Time, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defiance
Noun
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As Pietro becomes more impatient with Gatti, hearing about Felice’s losing streak in his nightly phone calls home, Felice is prompted into his first, necessary act of rebellion against his father’s loving but stifling authority.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
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Although the political protests in Los Angeles included some violence, the judge reasoned that the violence did not rise to a rebellion and did not prevent a traditional police response.—
Luke William Hunt,
The Conversation,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The two candidates fended off relatively minor opposition to advance from the nonpartisan blanket primary, in which the two top-performing candidates move on to compete in the general election.—
Jared Gans,
The Hill,
10 Sep. 2025
-
The City Council ultimately voted 5-1 to deny the appeal, with lone opposition from Council Member Doug Taylor.—
Rose Evans
September 10,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This massive one by Salaün — her second of three en route to 19 points — was set up by the aggression of Leite, who became the attacker that moved Dallas’ defense.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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Thomas Heatherwick gave a lecture at the Russian Pavilion, a questionable choice in itself and one that drew calls for a boycott, considering Russia’s curators canceled the country’s participation in the Biennale because of the country’s aggression in Ukraine.—
Kate Wagner,
Curbed,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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While this change reduces the explicit admission of willfulness, a narrative is still required.—
Virginia La Torre Jeker,
Forbes.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Of course there's always resistance in neighborhoods.—
Kristen Edgreen Kaufman,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Stand with a resistance band in front of you and grab the ends.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Before the Bucs' preseason finale, head coach Todd Bowles praised Sanders for his effort on special teams and his overall aggressiveness.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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The Detroit Tigers came into last offseason with some money to spend and a lot of aggressiveness.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
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This element of female rebelliousness is very important to me.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2019
Noun
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The objections that stopped earlier attempts are now dissolving.—
Sandy Peng,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Libraries received only 12 formal objections since 2021 Changes brought by the supervisors' stand in contrast to how library administrators historically have dealt with book objections.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiance. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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