How to Use defiant in a Sentence

defiant

adjective
  • He's taken a defiant stand on the issue.
  • And of course there’s a defiant fist pump at the end.
    — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 5 Jan. 2026
  • This, too, is defiant in its own right, Heinen says.
    — Kelsey Stiegman, Refinery29, 13 Aug. 2025
  • This is a show about pleasure and joy, but in a defiant way, not a naïve one.
    — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 17 Dec. 2024
  • Her white dress and defiant smile stand out in a crowd of drab grayscale suits and uniforms.
    — Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025
  • There's a black sheep in the game, along with a red sheep who is more defiant than the others.
    — Trilby Beresford, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Aug. 2020
  • The mood on the island was defiant.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 7 Dec. 2025
  • Trump then appeared defiant in the face of any backlash over his post.
    — Zach Lachance, The Washington Examiner, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Willy, a pianist, is more defiant and wants to speak truth to power.
    — Peter Marks, Washington Post, 19 Jan. 2023
  • Campbell was defiant that the lawsuit would not change her vote.
    — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Hunched over the light of their phones, some young people remain defiant.
    — New York Times, 6 Feb. 2021
  • Mckenna posed with her tongue out and a defiant, mischievous smile.
    — Caitlin Flynn, Rolling Stone, 21 Dec. 2023
  • Adorned with locks and keys, dice and gems, this combat boot is equal parts charming and defiant.
    — Katie Attardo, Marie Claire, 28 Sep. 2020
  • Baer was defiant in his response.
    — Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 20 June 2026
  • The town’s crew tried twice to cover it, But the words bled through, defiant.
    — Ken Burns, The Atlantic, 28 Dec. 2025
  • This defiant guy decided to use a huge lumber pile as his roost for days.
    — Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Maduro's allies struck a defiant tone in video messages.
    — Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 4 Jan. 2026
  • Trump raised a defiant fist into the air as he was hustled off the stage and out of the rally.
    — Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 14 July 2024
  • The dogs seem tense; the groundhog a little defiant and a lot hungry.
    — Joel Shannon, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2020
  • As a teenager, Bell flocked to people with a defiant edge.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
  • His videos have grown both defiant and erratic.
    — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026
  • As the hours passed, the mood shifted from defiant to resigned, and the crowd started to thin.
    — Bloomberg.com, 5 Apr. 2018
  • Still, Bailey remained defiant in the face of the judge’s threats to jail him.
    — Andrew Goldman, Town & Country, 3 June 2021
  • For decades, the clinic staff and volunteers have struck a defiant tone.
    — Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2022
  • The girls in her pieces are beautiful, defiant, fierce and in danger.
    — Darryl Ratcliff, Dallas News, 11 Nov. 2020
  • There was something gorgeous in their voices, and defiant as well.
    — Natalia Paradies, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2025
  • The plot loosely mirrors key themes in the songs, which are steeped in exile and loss, but still lusty and defiant.
    — Stephen Dalton, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 May 2017
  • In some cities, the mood among Ukraine’s supporters was defiant.
    — Matt Surman Anushka Patil Juston Jones Julie Ho Julie Ho Julie Ho Monika Pronczuk Emile Ducke Andrea Kannapell The New York Times Monika Pronczuk Anushka Patil Farnaz Fassihi Andrea Kannapell Carlotta Gall Cassandra Vinograd Cassandra Vinograd Michael D. Shear Marc Santora Maya King Michael D. Shear Marc Santora Michael D. Shear Cassandra Vinograd Farnaz Fassihi Farnaz Fassihi Farnaz Fassihi Farna, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2023
  • Smith plays Peter as a man of faith, penitent to his god, but defiant of men.
    — Peter Debruge, Variety, 30 Nov. 2022
  • The other speakers of the closing rally struck a defiant note as well.
    — Bruce Sterling, WIRED, 12 Sep. 2013

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defiant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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