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
For example, more than 280 Venezuelan migrants were sent to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison, where routine torture has been documented, in defiance of a federal court order.
—
Erwin Chemerinsky, Twin Cities, 8 Apr. 2026
North of the pavement, the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness holds a quieter terrain, where sunflower, ephedra and honey mesquite anchor the sand in subtle defiance of the wind.
—Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
The call came as Tehran escalated its diplomatic defiance.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
Recognition of Iran’s sovereignty over the strait, which would be in defiance of international law, is one of Tehran’s main demands to end the war.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Erwin Chemerinsky, Twin Cities, 8 Apr. 2026
North of the pavement, the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness holds a quieter terrain, where sunflower, ephedra and honey mesquite anchor the sand in subtle defiance of the wind.
—Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
The call came as Tehran escalated its diplomatic defiance.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
Recognition of Iran’s sovereignty over the strait, which would be in defiance of international law, is one of Tehran’s main demands to end the war.
—Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defiance
Noun
-
The memoirs are valued above all for their candor, though Jahangir chose to avoid writing about his earlier rebellion against his father, Akbar.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Many of the stories in the book are tragic Icarus narratives, featuring acts of rebellion that succeed in one brief ecstatic burst, and then resoundingly fail.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Talon leaves a mixed legacy of economic growth, a growing jihadi insurgency in the north and the suppression of opposition critics.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Péter Magyar, a former official in Orbán’s party, became an ascendant opposition candidate, drawing unprecedented crowds at rallies across the country and eventually leading in most polls.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Another day, as Mom loads the children into the car, Jeremy tosses a basketball against the house, again and again, his passive aggression registering through the ball’s unyielding thuds and his own frozen gaze.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Sources have told The Star that KU’s coaching staff believed in his potential but wanted to see more physicality and aggression from him.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
10 Apr. 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
-
Sometimes just surviving is an act of resistance and finding the grass that grows in the cracks in the asphalt.—
Sarah Lewin Frasier,
Scientific American,
10 Apr. 2026
-
When momentum faded, the stock rolled over, and those same lines flipped to resistance on the way down.—
Frank Cappelleri,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
However, her production dipped late in the year, particularly in SEC play, as her aggressiveness attacking the rim declined.—
Aaron Segal,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Colorado’s aggressiveness with trading away draft picks and prospects to help the NHL club’s pursuit of a Stanley Cup has often left the organization’s pipeline thin, but also provides opportunities for undrafted players like Logan O’Connor and Sam Malinski to earn chances and thrive.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 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
-
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
-
The court's objection was first reported by the New York Times.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Tommy Medina waived about 2 1/2 years of custody credits as part of a plea deal offer from Orange County Superior Court Judge Larry Yellin, which drew an objection from prosecutors.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiance. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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