1
as in rebellion
refusal to obey
any defiance of the authoritarian regime would have dire consequences
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in aggression
an inclination to fight or quarrel
a deeply troubled person who seemed the very soul of defiance
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defiance
The Education Department’s demand that K-12 districts and state officials certify their schools are free of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs is being met with open defiance from blue states and open arms by red ones.
—
Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 12 Apr. 2025
In the well of the U.S. Senate, Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, delivered a historic twenty-five-hour speech in defiance of Trump’s agenda, electrifying a party whose spirit had begun to ebb.
—Julia Angwin, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2025
Arrested and forcibly removed, Colvin was full of righteous defiance.
—Sughnen Yongo, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
And yet, the core of the brand—the audacity, the punk defiance, the challenge to authority—remains intact.
—Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Lexi Lonas Cochran, The Hill, 12 Apr. 2025
In the well of the U.S. Senate, Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat, delivered a historic twenty-five-hour speech in defiance of Trump’s agenda, electrifying a party whose spirit had begun to ebb.
—Julia Angwin, New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2025
Arrested and forcibly removed, Colvin was full of righteous defiance.
—Sughnen Yongo, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
And yet, the core of the brand—the audacity, the punk defiance, the challenge to authority—remains intact.
—Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defiance
Noun
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For years, Bitcoin stood as a symbol of rebellion—a decentralized answer to central banks, inflationary currencies, and overreaching governments.—
Max (Chong) Li,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
-
The profits, in turn, are used to fund the rebellion.—
Nicolas Niarchos,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Kehlani has also used their social media to indicate opposition to Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip and ongoing military campaign there, as well as to call out other musicians for being silent on the issue.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
-
There will be fierce opposition to some of these NASA cuts in Congress.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The Workplace Bully Forget the Hollywood version — the red-faced screamer, the open aggression bully.—
Jason Walker PsyD,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
That means reducing aggression, agitation, and sleep disturbances.—
Dr. Sabooh Mubbashar,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Chromium uses chemicals to preserve the animal's skin, and offers more water and heat resistance for the leather products it's applied to.—
Gia Yetikyel,
Vogue,
26 Apr. 2025
-
The Shin Bet chief’s sudden status as a hero of resistance to Netanyahu is pregnant with irony.—
Gershom Gorenberg,
The Atlantic,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Provide 7 realistic objections or reasons for apathy that typical customers might have.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
-
There has never been an objection to describing this highly brutal, murderous conduct in words, nor did anyone object to this office when such crime scene images were recently shown on a Netflix documentary.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
When expectant fathers face hostility or subtle exclusion at work, the consequences can extend beyond their own careers.—
Kim Elsesser,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
-
Questions were raised over Putin’s motives in calling the brief halt to hostilities, which came just after the Trump administration threatened to abandon peace efforts without tangible signs of progress.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Maintain safety by allowing your teen to share sensitive information without judgement, punishment, disrespect, or harsh criticism.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
4 Mar. 2025
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From today’s extended look, director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer have delivered something that’s akin to a Top Gun with lots of riveting, cut-the-corner race scenes that outstrip those of James Mangold’s Ford v. Ferrari (no disrespect) and bromance camaraderie.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Alleging disobedience, among other claimed doctrinal infractions, the OCA excommunicated the Homyks and longtime parish council leader Rivera.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2025
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Outright disobedience is exceedingly rare.—
Hurubie Meko,
New York Times,
10 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiance. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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