Definition of resistancenext
1
as in opposition
the inclination to resist after some initial resistance, the city council warmed up to the proposed development plan

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2
as in underground
a secret organization in a conquered country fighting against enemy forces soldiers from the resistance were captured after a skirmish outside the foreign ministry

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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 resistance That may seem more palatable, but a keen observer might notice that prior highs occasionally present some technical resistance, and Costco topped out at about $1,090 back in mid-May. — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026 Add resistance training at least twice weekly, with exercises targeting major muscle groups. — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026 The soldier and the medic both worked for KNDF (Karenni Nationalities Defense Force) resistance group. — Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026 Pledger was detained without resistance and a 9 mm handgun was recovered, according to police. — CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for resistance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for resistance
Noun
  • Waymo operates commercially in 15 US cities, but has faced opposition from labor unions, ride-hailing giants such as Uber and Lyft, and various AI-skeptical groups and pedestrian safety advocates.
    — Max Tani, semafor.com, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Two Columbia University Apartheid Divest activists, bemoaning their opposition, coauthored a June 2024 opinion article signaling overlap with the police abolition movement.
    — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 9 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • The industry, documents show, saw CCS as a way to forestall that outcome, allowing the world to keep burning fossil fuels while simply burying the pollution underground.
    — Katie Worth, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • His mother had belonged to the Irgun, the Jewish underground that fought British rule before Israel’s founding, but his parents were, by all accounts, not ideological zealots.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The work was temporarily delayed by objections raised by the Georgia Ports Authority, part of a long-running feud between GPA leaders and Dulany.
    — Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 11 Nov. 2026
  • The standard objection is that ordinary citizens do not read disclosures.
    — Tal Feldman, Foreign Affairs, 11 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Resistance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/resistance. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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