Was defiant in a way? Hardly! (7)

I believe the answer is:

fainted

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'a way? hardly' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this defines the answer.

'was defiant' is the wordplay.
'defiant' can be anagrammed to 'FAINTED'.
But, I'm not clear how the anagram is indicated.

'in' acts as a link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for fainted that I've seen before include "Swooned, lost consciousness" , "Passed out" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.

Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app