1
as in to disobey
to go against the commands, prohibitions, or rules of
in those days a woman was brave if she defied fashion and wore white after Labor Day
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to confront
to oppose (something hostile or dangerous) with firmness or courage
a rescue team willing to defy the raging storm
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to resist
to refuse to give in to
a bicyclist who regularly defies illness and infirmity in order to compete in races
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defy
Manager Alex Cora believes his hitters will defy people’s low expectations.
—
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
Both Allen and Raye challenge the listener to keep up with the plot twists, defying all the conventional wisdom about the audience’s attention span these days.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2026
Its density, heat capacity, compressibility, and viscosity respond to changes in temperature and pressure in ways that defy typical liquid behavior.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Mar. 2026
Hezbollah defied assessments it had been substantially weakened by its two-year involvement in the war in Gaza, firing rockets and drones daily toward northern Israel.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defy
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
Both Allen and Raye challenge the listener to keep up with the plot twists, defying all the conventional wisdom about the audience’s attention span these days.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2026
Its density, heat capacity, compressibility, and viscosity respond to changes in temperature and pressure in ways that defy typical liquid behavior.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Mar. 2026
Hezbollah defied assessments it had been substantially weakened by its two-year involvement in the war in Gaza, firing rockets and drones daily toward northern Israel.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defy
Verb
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South Windsor police have charged Rodriguez with evading responsibility, disobeying the signal of an officer, reckless driving, engaging police in pursuit and improper use of a marker, license or registration.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
17 Mar. 2026
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Michael Schade, who works in the department’s traffic division, said most e-bike accidents were caused by riders disobeying basic traffic rules, like running red lights and not stopping at stop signs.—
Alissa Gary,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some hockey Warbucks is going to pull up to Carle’s house in a Brink’s truck soon and dare him to ride shotgun.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
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Trump’s Cabinet meetings might as well be filmed in North Korea what with the obsequious pandering before one of them dares speak.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Take, for instance, a scene featuring a woman in a kind of avant-garde milkmaid ensemble confronting a monstrously tall figure that, upon close examination, is actually a child perched atop a man’s shoulders, wearing a long trench coat.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
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Facing the future may mean confronting difficult questions and frightening scenarios.—
Kat McGowan,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Against a backdrop of social and geopolitical change, amid profound transformation both in Georgia and across the South Caucasus, their stories reveal how the will to dream, to resist, and to love becomes its own quiet blaze.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
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Serious worm farmers will want to invest in some worm food to ensure their nightcrawlers get the perfect balance of protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, and minerals to create a plump, tasty bait that no self-respecting fish can resist.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This is a youngster in great form and proving hard to ignore.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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Some Democrats argue that the cost of ignoring young male voters is higher than the risk of association with Piker.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Pittsburgh challenged for goaltender interference but was unsuccessful.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Courtesy Safa Sefidgari Last year, the couple joined a group lawsuit challenging the administration’s travel ban.—
Alicia Victoria Lozano,
NBC news,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Administration’s treatment of immigration officers as a vulnerable group rests on claims that agents now face unprecedented threats.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
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This time, however, travelers are already facing long lines and delays due to the ongoing partial government shutdown, which has left thousands of TSA workers without pay.—
De'Anthony Taylor,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Among those opposing his release was Janet Kovacich’s brother, Gary Gregoire, Tellman said.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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The decision by Republicans to isolate the language on voter ID, part of days of rolling debate on the SAVE America Act, was spurred by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) insisting that Democrats do not oppose that specific requirement and have backed it in the past.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defy. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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