Withstood (8)
I believe the answer is:
resisted
'withstood' is the definition.
('resist' can be a synonym of 'withstand')
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for resisted that I've seen before include "Put up defence, perhaps against arrest" , "Opposed, fought against" , "Fought back" , "Took stand with editress" , "Struggled against" .)