defied; defying
1
: to confront with assured power of resistance : disregard
defy public opinion
in trouble for defying a court order
2
: to resist attempts at : withstand
the paintings defy classification
a decision that defies all logic
3
: to challenge to do something considered impossible : dare
defied us to name a better movie
4
archaic
: to challenge to combat
plural defies
Synonyms
Examples of defy in a Sentence
Verb
She defied her parents and dropped out of school.
The group has continued to defy all efforts to stop them.
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
The Heat’s best chance at defying the odds for a second straight season as a No. 8 seed will be to make the games ugly against the league’s top offense.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2024
Because bitcoin defies conventional valuation methods, its price is prone to sudden and violent swings.
—Joel Khalili, WIRED, 19 Apr. 2024
Read More: How Black Basketball Players in the ‘70s Paved the Way for the All Stars Today
In October 1979, however, the New York Knicks defied that commonly held perception with a seemingly innocuous roster move.
—TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
But the used market is defying economic theory—lower prices aren’t increasing sales.
—Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024
The country’s current President Bernardo Arévalo, an anti-corruption figure who defied the odds and won the election last year in a landslide victory, has promised to empower the judiciary.
—Tara John, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
With just hours to find a solution at the end of September, McCarthy defied House conservatives to bring up a short-term funding extension, successfully avoiding a shutdown with the help of Democrats.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2024
The tourbillon in the new caliber 388 sets three concentric rotating cages into a dazzling display of watchmaking’s oldest attempt to defy gravity.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
Sebastian Blanco, Car and Driver, 8 Jan. 2023
Over the past few years, astronomers have uncovered about a dozen objects in the distant solar system that defy expectations.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2019
But so many gathering places in New York City defy categorization.
—Karrie Jacobs, Curbed, 18 July 2022
Ciara and Andreas defy categorization by being other worldly good looking with chaotic neutral personalities.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2022
Can Christian Pulisic — if healthy — and the young American squad defy odds again and knock off a soccer superpower in the Netherlands?
—Chris Ilenstine, Chicago Tribune, 2 Dec. 2022
The financial inclusivity scores for the U.S. defy categorization.
—Byseema Shah, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2022
But Curry has done nothing but defy odds his entire career.
—Gary Washburn, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Sep. 2022
The challenge for Democrats will be to maintain the energy for several more months and defy trends that typically trip up the party in power.
—Steve Peoples, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2022
Verb
What’s behind those ‘Shame on you’ billboards in the Coachella Valley?
Murrieta Valley school officials defy California, keeping policy to tell parents when children are transitioning genders.
—Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
The Heat’s best chance at defying the odds for a second straight season as a No. 8 seed will be to make the games ugly against the league’s top offense.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2024
Because bitcoin defies conventional valuation methods, its price is prone to sudden and violent swings.
—Joel Khalili, WIRED, 19 Apr. 2024
Read More: How Black Basketball Players in the ‘70s Paved the Way for the All Stars Today
In October 1979, however, the New York Knicks defied that commonly held perception with a seemingly innocuous roster move.
—TIME, 19 Apr. 2024
But the used market is defying economic theory—lower prices aren’t increasing sales.
—Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2024
The country’s current President Bernardo Arévalo, an anti-corruption figure who defied the odds and won the election last year in a landslide victory, has promised to empower the judiciary.
—Tara John, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
With just hours to find a solution at the end of September, McCarthy defied House conservatives to bring up a short-term funding extension, successfully avoiding a shutdown with the help of Democrats.
—Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2024
The tourbillon in the new caliber 388 sets three concentric rotating cages into a dazzling display of watchmaking’s oldest attempt to defy gravity.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
Noun
There are also vehicles that kind of defy trailering, at least under normal circumstances, like the old U.S. military Unimog (pictured above), complete with a hydraulic front-end loader.
—Sebastian Blanco, Car and Driver, 8 Jan. 2023
Over the past few years, astronomers have uncovered about a dozen objects in the distant solar system that defy expectations.
—Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 4 Oct. 2019
But so many gathering places in New York City defy categorization.
—Karrie Jacobs, Curbed, 18 July 2022
Ciara and Andreas defy categorization by being other worldly good looking with chaotic neutral personalities.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 14 Feb. 2022
Can Christian Pulisic — if healthy — and the young American squad defy odds again and knock off a soccer superpower in the Netherlands?
—Chris Ilenstine, Chicago Tribune, 2 Dec. 2022
The financial inclusivity scores for the U.S. defy categorization.
—Byseema Shah, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2022
But Curry has done nothing but defy odds his entire career.
—Gary Washburn, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Sep. 2022
The challenge for Democrats will be to maintain the energy for several more months and defy trends that typically trip up the party in power.
—Steve Peoples, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near defy
Cite this Entry
“Defy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defy. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share