fly in the face of

phrase

variants or fly in the teeth of

: to stand or act forthrightly or brazenly in defiance or contradiction of

His explanation flies in the face of the evidence.

Examples of fly in the face of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Attorneys for the city, meanwhile, say the union’s effort to remove those hearings from public view flies in the face of CPD’s ongoing reform efforts and would undermine confidence in the city’s Police Department. — Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026

Carrying the weight of duty and the dead, Odysseus begins the long journey home, flying in the face of the Gods. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026

For women, having thinning hair or noticeable hair loss flies in the face of our definitions of beauty and femininity. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Aug. 2026

This latest development is a transparent effort to circumvent the court's ruling, and flies in the face of the statutes that Congress passed. — Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 13 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1689, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for fly in the face of

• above
• foxglove
• hereof
• thereof
• whereof
• dove
• glove
• love
• shove
• hereinabove