as in resister
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Recent Examples of defier
Evan Turk’s provocative and emotive illustrations, portraits within this portrait, bring swirling movement and feeling to the story of this defier and definer of the times.
—
BostonGlobe.com, 22 Apr. 2021
Everybody enjoys being thought of as a scofflaw, or a hell-raiser, or defier of authority, especially if such activity happened in the past.
—Karen Martin, Arkansas Online, 29 Nov. 2020
Critics see a reckless defier of laws and norms who must be held to account.
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 17 Nov. 2019
Belichick is the league’s most prominent convention-defier; Schwartz is a veteran myth-buster.
—Michael Rosenberg, SI.com, 2 Feb. 2018
The Ordinary's Granactive Retinoid* 2% Emulsion ($9.80) is a retinoid active, part of the family of age-defiers that helps reduce wrinkles.
—Macaela MacKenzie, Allure, 26 Jan. 2018
Roy Moore, defier of Supreme Courts, thumper of Bibles, hater of gays and everyone else who is not exactly like Roy Moore, is the Republican nominee for Senate in Alabama.
—Sarah Jones, New Republic, 27 Sep. 2017
BostonGlobe.com, 22 Apr. 2021
Everybody enjoys being thought of as a scofflaw, or a hell-raiser, or defier of authority, especially if such activity happened in the past.
—Karen Martin, Arkansas Online, 29 Nov. 2020
Critics see a reckless defier of laws and norms who must be held to account.
—Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 17 Nov. 2019
Belichick is the league’s most prominent convention-defier; Schwartz is a veteran myth-buster.
—Michael Rosenberg, SI.com, 2 Feb. 2018
The Ordinary's Granactive Retinoid* 2% Emulsion ($9.80) is a retinoid active, part of the family of age-defiers that helps reduce wrinkles.
—Macaela MacKenzie, Allure, 26 Jan. 2018
Roy Moore, defier of Supreme Courts, thumper of Bibles, hater of gays and everyone else who is not exactly like Roy Moore, is the Republican nominee for Senate in Alabama.
—Sarah Jones, New Republic, 27 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defier
Noun
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Newsom got another fix of national media attention to bolster his image as resister-in-chief to the commander-in-chief, in apparent preparation for a 2028 presidential campaign.—
Dan Walters,
Oc Register,
23 Sep. 2025
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The answer is that France at this time was attempting to heal its wartime wounds, papering over the cracks in the social fabric that had opened up during the German Occupation and positioning itself as a nation of resisters, in which collaborators had been few and aberrant.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 July 2025
Noun
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Sora 2 is an AI video generator, a TikTok challenger, and a social network all in one.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
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Primary challengers enter the fray The backlash against Cunningham’s votes and comments extends into the upcoming 2026 election cycle.—
Mary Ramsey
October 3,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Alcalá has pleaded guilty to collaborating with Colombia’s FARC rebels.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
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The rebels also cited the need to take out the massive scam operations as justification for their offensive – which analysts say China likely greenlit.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The uniform of the conformist — sports shirt, cardigan, tennis shoes — is as easily recognized as that of the recusant — dirty white T, sideburns, two days’ growth of beard.—
Chris Jones,
chicagotribune.com,
15 July 2019
Noun
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Few among the bureaucratic, business, and even military elites denounced the mutineers, exposing limited support for Putin.—
ANDREI YAKOVLEV,
Foreign Affairs,
16 May 2025
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He’s been with them since the beginning, proving himself as a loyal friend and a valuable mutineer.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Jahmai Jones’ two-run single in the top of the fifth proved the difference, punching Detroit’s ticket to the playoffs and ensuring the Tigers would go into Game 162 with a chance to claw back the AL Central title from the insurgent Cleveland Guardians on the final day of the regular season.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
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Labels matter Security analysts say the situation in Haiti continues to defy clear international legal characterization and the choice of labels – crisis, armed conflict, gangs, terrorist groups, armed groups, criminal groups, insurgents – carries significant legal and humanitarian implications.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Deporting supposed gang members and Hamas supporters without due process may violate any number of statutes, but forcing oppositionists to defend these people’s rights allows the administration to paint them as defending their ideas.—
Garry Kasparov,
The Atlantic,
17 Apr. 2025
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Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is a Sunni Islamist umbrella group of oppositionist forces with ideological and organizational roots in al-Qaeda.—
Joseph Epstein,
Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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In a country shackled and scarred by race, religion, gender, and class, much of that rationalized and reified by mainline American churches, the Disciples were genial revolutionists offering inclusion, education, and empowerment for those at the margins.—
Richard D. Mahoney,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Apr. 2025
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As the head of China’s Nationalist government, Chiang and his party were trying to establish control in a nation divided among revolutionists, nationalists, Indigenous warlords, and a developing communist army and government.—
Susan Tate Ankeny,
Smithsonian Magazine,
23 Apr. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Defier.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defier. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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