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
So far, 2025 at the box office has been defined by the defiance of conventional wisdom.
—
Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
Minnesota passed on Rodgers at the time, almost to signal a vote of defiance or confidence in McCarthy.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
In recent months, some council members have pushed, in open defiance, for outside groups to take another look, on the city’s behalf, at the economics of moving out of the Civic Center complex.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
The novel immerses the reader in the world of a Carpathian village in the 1970s, where the main character Darusya lives, whom the locals consider mute and mentally retarded due to attacks of headaches, although none of them guesses the true reasons for her behavior and defiance.
—Nelly Klos
september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
Minnesota passed on Rodgers at the time, almost to signal a vote of defiance or confidence in McCarthy.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
In recent months, some council members have pushed, in open defiance, for outside groups to take another look, on the city’s behalf, at the economics of moving out of the Civic Center complex.
—Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025
The novel immerses the reader in the world of a Carpathian village in the 1970s, where the main character Darusya lives, whom the locals consider mute and mentally retarded due to attacks of headaches, although none of them guesses the true reasons for her behavior and defiance.
—Nelly Klos
september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defiance
Noun
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The state argued incidents that arose from the ICE facility protests in recent months have been handled by local law enforcement and have not been severe enough to be considered a riot or rebellion.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
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Her choice challenges the rules of her world and sparks a rebellion that paves the way for a new way of life.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In July, after FilmLA’s contract was renewed for five more years despite opposition from some local public advocates, a host of measures aimed at streamlining and eradicating bureaucratic hurdles in the film permitting process was approved.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Oct. 2025
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Involvement in these crypto ventures has led to accusations of corruption, conflicts of interest and self-dealing from opposition lawmakers, as well as calls for ethics investigations.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Wall Street holds near record highs in a government-data blackout , with enough rotational energy toward left-behind groups, refreshed confidence in the AI spending frenzy, certainty of a Fed rate cut this month and speculative aggression in lower-quality longshots to keep the indexes aloft.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
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The President's aggression is forcing every school district, city, and the state to do more to protect our rights and our students.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 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
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One more vote is needed to force a House vote over the resistance of Speaker Mike Johnson.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
4 Oct. 2025
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Part of the town’s magic is in its remoteness and resistance to commercialization.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Breslow suggested that the same aggressiveness needs to be present this winter to keep pace with the rest of the league.—
Jen McCaffrey,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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Critics have raised concerns about the aggressiveness of some raids, potential due-process violations, and the treatment of migrants in custody, amid growing national scrutiny of the administration’s immigration policies.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The performance goes from fiery to ineffectual as DiCaprio’s character, Bob, loses his youthful rebelliousness in a haze of pot and resignation.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
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The rebelliousness can be witnessed in everything from its ’70s-in-California style to the very naming conventions Mother chooses for its viral products — adored by A-listers like Gigi Hadid, Chrissy Teigen, Millie Bobby Brown, and more.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Footwear News,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And by Tuesday afternoon, Texas National Guard troops had arrived at a training center outside of Chicago — despite the vehement objections of local leaders, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
7 Oct. 2025
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But these objections miss the point.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiance. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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