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
Ravens circle overhead, croaking at my presence in defiance.
—
Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Embracing misery is one kind of defiance; demanding to be heard is another.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
In 18th-century Trinidad, enslaved Africans who were not allowed to participate in the pre-Lenten traditions of masquerade balls by European colonizers created their own celebrations of defiance.
—Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2026
José Antonio Kast’s decisive victory, driven by anxiety over crime and migration, arrived without overt institutional defiance.
—Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Embracing misery is one kind of defiance; demanding to be heard is another.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2026
In 18th-century Trinidad, enslaved Africans who were not allowed to participate in the pre-Lenten traditions of masquerade balls by European colonizers created their own celebrations of defiance.
—Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2026
José Antonio Kast’s decisive victory, driven by anxiety over crime and migration, arrived without overt institutional defiance.
—Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defiance
Noun
-
But the rebellion has also spurred a race to the bottom.—
Laura K. Field,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Confederate sympathizers carved up the old design, claiming the red-and-white Crossland pattern to signal rebellion loyalty.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Khanna was among 21 Democrats in Congress, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who sent a joint letter to Noem last week voicing opposition to immigration raids at the Super Bowl.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Others who were freed include Luis Somaza, a member of the Popular Will party, and Jesús Armas, an activist and former opposition councilman.—
Diego Mendoza,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Armia, also signed over the summer, has been as advertised, bringing aggression, energy and a serious threat to score shorthanded.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
With Russia and Belarus officially banned, and the games taking place in Europe, there will likely be significant diplomatic attention on Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.—
Samuel Sanders,
Time,
6 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
-
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
-
Against this backdrop, A-list film festivals have become vital platforms for Iranian cinema as a form of cultural resistance.—
Tina Ahmadi Krol,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Feb. 2026
-
For example, researchers envision a skin cream that protects troops from frostbite, developed by mimicking the biological cold-resistance strategies these organisms evolved over millennia.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Way, meanwhile, enjoys watching Katie’s aggressiveness.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Errington has an endearing likability and a sense of mischief, but more aggressiveness and overconfidence would better suit the character.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 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
-
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
-
He's gotten his legislative agenda through the House and the Senate without any objection of any meaningful sort.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Praise for the post being removed More Republicans lodged their objections to the post after the video was taken down.—
Matt Brown,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiance. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
