1
as in rebellion
refusal to obey
any defiance of the authoritarian regime would have dire consequences
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of defiance
Jane Wickline also debuts a new song, which straddles a defense of being chronically late and an outright defiance of the idea of being on time.
—
Rima Parikh, Vulture, 10 May 2026
The slain hikers were among 20 who set out to ascend the 1,355-meter (4,445-foot) volcano in defiance of safety restrictions and became stranded when Dukono erupted early Friday, spewing a thick ash column that rose about 10 kilometers (6 miles) into the air.
—ABC News, 9 May 2026
Fortunately for Cîrstea, defiance is one of her defining characteristics.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 9 May 2026
In the eight years since, pure defiance has become sustenance.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Rima Parikh, Vulture, 10 May 2026
The slain hikers were among 20 who set out to ascend the 1,355-meter (4,445-foot) volcano in defiance of safety restrictions and became stranded when Dukono erupted early Friday, spewing a thick ash column that rose about 10 kilometers (6 miles) into the air.
—ABC News, 9 May 2026
Fortunately for Cîrstea, defiance is one of her defining characteristics.
—Charlie Eccleshare, New York Times, 9 May 2026
In the eight years since, pure defiance has become sustenance.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 8 May 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
-
All four candidates ran without formal opposition in the election.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
-
This comes after Xi welcomed Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of Taiwan’s biggest opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), in Beijing last month, telling her that China will never tolerate independence for Taiwan.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Children are also on screens now more than ever, which is believed to contribute to more anxiety, depression, aggression and hyperactivity.—
Stacker,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
-
But a full strength Edwards frequently finds ways to make opponents pay for such aggression by firing up the boosters to turn a corner and get downhill with aggression.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
9 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
-
Magyar—sitting in the front row, rewatching a film that had helped establish him as a global icon of anti-authoritarian resistance—was less than four days away from taking power.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
It was systematically dismantled by the fierce, courageous resistance of Black mothers, soldiers, and civil rights workers who recognized the lethal power of these performances and put everything on the line to change the course of our history.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Bears display aggressiveness towards visitors Aggressive bears have been a concern in the park since April, with the animals chasing people and even biting them.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
-
The two have been engaging in a subtle war of online words with fans noting passive aggressiveness to the max.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
13 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
-
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
-
There were also objections from bigger carriers such as United, which had an urgent financial interest in seeing the back of a pesky cheap competitor.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
As for your wife’s objection, Miss Manners will point out that good manners need not mean being bulldozed by others.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiance. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
