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
What roused them from complacency to defiance?
—
Joshua Hammer, The New York Review of Books, 19 Feb. 2026
In contemporary terms, joy is a psychological and neurobiological act of defiance.
—Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
The American founding was, at its core, an act of defiance against unchecked power.
—Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
Signs of defiance continue Despite the crackdown, many civic groups continue to issue defiant statements.
—CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Joshua Hammer, The New York Review of Books, 19 Feb. 2026
In contemporary terms, joy is a psychological and neurobiological act of defiance.
—Rabbi Bruce D. Forman, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
The American founding was, at its core, an act of defiance against unchecked power.
—Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 15 Feb. 2026
Signs of defiance continue Despite the crackdown, many civic groups continue to issue defiant statements.
—CBS News, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defiance
Noun
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And last week, former interior minister Lee Sang-min was sentenced to seven years in prison for participating in a rebellion.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
South Korea’s Justice Ministry bans Yoon from traveling overseas as police, prosecutors and an anti-corruption agency expand competing investigations into allegations of rebellion and other charges.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When Europeans were asked about support or opposition to the creation of a regional army that included forces from their own country, 61% of respondents in Lithuania backed the idea, according to a YouGov poll in October last year.—
Domi Suskova,
CNBC,
24 Feb. 2026
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The coalition parties together hold only 66 of the lower house of parliament’s 150 seats, so Jetten will have to negotiate with opposition lawmakers to find support for every piece of legislation his government wants to pass.—
Mike Corder,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Russia’s unprovoked aggression has forced millions of Ukrainians to put their lives on hold.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
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The Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified from his event for wearing a black-and-white helmet depicting athletes killed in Russia’s war of aggression against his homeland.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
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The orphan’s predicament is as much a matter of willfulness as of survival—inseparable, as in the works of Charles Dickens, from a dream of being somehow rescued by the idea of an adult world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The work focuses on dysprosium, a heavy rare-earth element used to improve heat resistance in magnets and stabilize nuclear control rods.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Feb. 2026
-
In the lab, the researchers isolated various bacterial strains and sequenced their genomes to evaluate which genes allow the strain to survive in low temperatures and which are linked to antimicrobial resistance.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
20 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Hamlin’s success has been built on aggressiveness, composure and a sixth sense at high speeds.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 Feb. 2026
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Way, meanwhile, enjoys watching Katie’s aggressiveness.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
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This transit stokes your sense of independence and even rebelliousness, inspiring you to strike out against convention and innovate more than ever.—
Maressa Brown,
InStyle,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The state’s hospitals, which have an extensive lobbying group at the state Capitol, have raised objections to Lamont’s budget regarding the tax that most hospitals pay.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
22 Feb. 2026
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These objections have become highly politicized, though in surprising ways.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA Today,
21 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiance. Accessed 25 Feb. 2026.
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