1
as in rebellion
refusal to obey
any defiance of the authoritarian regime would have dire consequences
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defiance
That defiance made Hailey and Chris of interest to police.
—
Ruth Chenetz, CBS News, 31 May 2025
All that defiance, that longing to be understood while feeling purposefully misunderstood...
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 30 May 2025
His recent election victory is often attributed to his firm defiance of Trump’s musings about annexing Canada.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 29 May 2025
The look is in stark defiance of a proliferating security mentality in schools to stop active shooters.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Ruth Chenetz, CBS News, 31 May 2025
All that defiance, that longing to be understood while feeling purposefully misunderstood...
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 30 May 2025
His recent election victory is often attributed to his firm defiance of Trump’s musings about annexing Canada.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 29 May 2025
The look is in stark defiance of a proliferating security mentality in schools to stop active shooters.
—Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for defiance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defiance
Noun
-
Hulu's Emmy-winning series pushed far beyond the events in Margaret Atwood's 1985 book, building to a rebellion in the totalitarian, patriarchal nation where women are dehumanized and used as vessels for breeding.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
28 May 2025
-
While there were wins for the rebellion, Gilead lives on with many of June’s strongest allies trapped there at the start of the episode, like Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) and Janine (Madeline Brewer).—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
26 May 2025
Noun
-
And while public perception of nuclear energy has softened somewhat, the sector still faces entrenched opposition from some environmental groups.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
-
But the dispute did not appear to spark significant new opposition the the bill in Congress.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
9 June 2025
Noun
-
The Ukrainian president conceded that momentum for the Coalition of the Willing, a group of 31 countries that have pledged to strengthen support for Ukraine against Russian aggression, has slowed because of U.S. ambivalence over providing a backstop.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 June 2025
-
These movements share essential elements: disdain for pluralism and diversity, fetishization of leadership, order and aggression, dismissal of the rule of law, and aversion to accountability.—
Elisa Manfredini,
Time,
14 June 2025
Noun
-
Even now, asserting my Jewish identity feels like an act of resistance in a place where Christianity is the default assumption and performative acts of Christian prayer pervade public life and politics.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 June 2025
-
With protests in resistance to ICE raids pop up around Los Angeles, Arnold Schwarzenegger is pushing back against media disinformation.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
Several Republicans have already expressed objections to the legislation as approved by the House.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 June 2025
-
Product joined to hear objections directly from the field.—
Aaron Biggs,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
The hostility of the state intensified with the BBC's 100 Women list, and a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.—
Mahrang Baloch,
Time,
10 June 2025
-
The hostilities began when Trump lashed out at Musk's criticism of the Republican tax-cut and spending bill, and quickly escalated into an all-out online brawl on Trump's Truth Social and Musk's X, with prominent businessmen, analysts and political names weighing in on the fight.—
Anniek Bao,Dylan Butts,Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
6 June 2025
Noun
-
The three Māori lawmakers declined to appear before the committee during its investigation, citing disrespect for their cultural traditions.—
Julia Zhong,
NBC news,
5 June 2025
-
Kelce saw some disrespect in those rankings, coming in at No. 7 on the list.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
Noun
-
Disgraced female Wakandan warrior Noni (voiced by Winnie Harlow), who has been banished from the kingdom’s female elite forces the Dora Milaje for disobedience, is dispatched on a mission to track-down the general and bring him back.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
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In 2016, a British passenger flying Flybe—a now-defunct regional airline—from Amsterdam to Exeter was fined more than $600 for his disobedience.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
12 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defiance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defiance. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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