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
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Recent Examples of defiance
Its proponents have turned it into a symbol of freedom and defiance.
—
Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 9 June 2026
For this poet, the first place of childhood and language is his village in the South, a place that has continued to exist in defiance of some of the most brutal forces of occupation, aggression, and now unabashed annihilation.
—Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
In a 230-191 vote, the House approved the bill in defiance of House GOP leadership.
—Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 9 June 2026
Tehran had warned of retaliation after Israel on Sunday struck Beirut's southern suburbs without warning in defiance of Washington's request days ago to stand down.
—Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Annie Waldman, ProPublica, 9 June 2026
For this poet, the first place of childhood and language is his village in the South, a place that has continued to exist in defiance of some of the most brutal forces of occupation, aggression, and now unabashed annihilation.
—Literary Hub, 9 June 2026
In a 230-191 vote, the House approved the bill in defiance of House GOP leadership.
—Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 9 June 2026
Tehran had warned of retaliation after Israel on Sunday struck Beirut's southern suburbs without warning in defiance of Washington's request days ago to stand down.
—Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defiance
Noun
-
The property tax rebellion is part of a broader push on both the right and left to give tax exemptions to seniors, workers who rely on tips, and the bottom 50% of the country to address cost-of-living pressures.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
18 June 2026
-
House Democrats are betting that a future Speaker Hakeem Jeffries wouldn’t struggle with the type of aisle-crossing rebellion that’s often vexed current Speaker Mike Johnson.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Sacramento Councilmember Karina Talamantes, whose district is directly adjacent to the project, has remained steadfast in her opposition to the development, urging the county to further delay the vote until a new supervisor is elected to replace Phil Serna, who is championing the project.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
16 June 2026
-
Lukwago is a former mayor of the Ugandan capital of Kampala and the president of the People's Front for Freedom opposition group.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
This time in the ring, Louis was supported by white and Black Americans alike, who were more unified against German aggression as World War II loomed.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
19 June 2026
-
Twelve years later, there’s more salt and pepper in Rogen’s beard and more vinegar in his demeanor; the let-it-all-hang-out comic boisterousness of his Judd Apatow days has hardened into a shell of middle-aged aggression.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 June 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
-
There’s a dry, droll seam of generation-gap humor in George’s continued, failed attempts to insert himself as a father figure into the life of someone who never asked for one, and Zeke’s blankly bemused resistance to his efforts.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
19 June 2026
-
The plan to buy large warehouses unfit for human habitation and spend millions more to convert them to prisons sparked nationwide backlash and pointed resistance in Social Circle and Oakwood.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Yet signs of pressing persist as the Padres steer solutions toward aggressiveness on the basepaths.—
Jeff Sanders,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
-
The aggressiveness was needed on a night Spurs head coach directed players to pick Brunson up full-court after San Antonio makes.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Marji’s rebelliousness, both admirable and terrifying for those who love her, is her salient characteristic.—
Hillary Chute,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Most of those objections no longer hold.—
Rhett Power,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
-
Republicans are considering a sizable, $350-billion-plus increase in Defense spending on par with the White House’s budget request that the GOP could pass on its own, through the reconciliation process that allows Senate majority rule over potential objections from Democrats.—
Lisa Mascaro,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiance. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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