resisted; resisting; resists
1
: to exert oneself so as to counteract or defeat
he resisted temptation
2
: to withstand the force or effect of
material that resists heat
: to exert force in opposition
I know I shouldn't, but I can't resist.
often attributive
: something (such as a coating) that protects against a chemical, electrical, or physical action
Examples of resist in a Sentence
Verb
He was charged with resisting arrest.
These windows can resist very high winds.
The drug will help your body resist infection.
She couldn't resist telling us what she'd heard.
He was able to resist the urge to tell her his secret.
It was hard resisting the temptation to open the box.
The offer was hard to resist.
I know I shouldn't have any more cake, but I can't resist.
Recent Examples on the Web
Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
In September, an ICE officer fatally shot a man who DHS said resisted arrest and dragged the officer during a vehicle stop in a Chicago suburb, according to DHS.
—Whitney Wild, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
Think of it as the South American mirror of One Battle After Another, a thriller-cum-satire about the insanity of authoritarianism and the community ties that enable us to resist it.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
But what if resisting that uncomfortable feeling is a mistake?
—Rafaela Jinich, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for resist
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Cheesecake and other sweets take all the fats and carbs that used to require hunting and gathering on the savannah and pack them into a hard-to-resist treat.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
In September, an ICE officer fatally shot a man who DHS said resisted arrest and dragged the officer during a vehicle stop in a Chicago suburb, according to DHS.
—Whitney Wild, CNN Money, 31 Jan. 2026
Think of it as the South American mirror of One Battle After Another, a thriller-cum-satire about the insanity of authoritarianism and the community ties that enable us to resist it.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026
But what if resisting that uncomfortable feeling is a mistake?
—Rafaela Jinich, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for resist
Cite this Entry
“Resist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/resist. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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