1
as in disobeyed
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 confronted
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 resisted
to refuse to give in to
a bicyclist who regularly defies illness and infirmity in order to compete in races
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defied
For some years now, the Washington Post newsroom has defied gravity, thanks to the internal ethic just described.
—
Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Schiltz appended a four-page list of 96 court orders that ICE had defied.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
One company that defied the trend was Cisco, whose stock finished the day up 3%.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026
For its part, the stock market has defied financial fears during recent government shutdowns.
—ABC News, 30 Jan. 2026
Himanshu Sharma | Afp | Getty Images New Delhi has defied expectations of experts by offering to ease tariffs on sectors such as automotive and agriculture, which are particularly sensitive to the levies.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
According to Netflix, The 99’ers follows the 1990s US Women’s National Soccer Team who, in 1999, under the scorching summer sun and in a stadium filled with 93,000 fans, defied the odds to emerge victorious in a dramatic penalty kick shootout against China in the World Cup final.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
But through years of determination, physical therapy, and sheer grit, Justin defied expectations by taking his first unassisted steps and eventually discovering a love for distance running.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
Dana Kraft said there is no coincidence that the program has seen overwhelming success in its inaugural year, while Vrabel has defied expectations in his first season as head coach, backed by the 16-3 Patriots.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026
Schiltz appended a four-page list of 96 court orders that ICE had defied.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
One company that defied the trend was Cisco, whose stock finished the day up 3%.
—Alexei Oreskovic, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2026
For its part, the stock market has defied financial fears during recent government shutdowns.
—ABC News, 30 Jan. 2026
Himanshu Sharma | Afp | Getty Images New Delhi has defied expectations of experts by offering to ease tariffs on sectors such as automotive and agriculture, which are particularly sensitive to the levies.
—Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
According to Netflix, The 99’ers follows the 1990s US Women’s National Soccer Team who, in 1999, under the scorching summer sun and in a stadium filled with 93,000 fans, defied the odds to emerge victorious in a dramatic penalty kick shootout against China in the World Cup final.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
But through years of determination, physical therapy, and sheer grit, Justin defied expectations by taking his first unassisted steps and eventually discovering a love for distance running.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
Dana Kraft said there is no coincidence that the program has seen overwhelming success in its inaugural year, while Vrabel has defied expectations in his first season as head coach, backed by the 16-3 Patriots.
—Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defied
Verb
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Hours after the shooting, Noem defended the ICE officer who shot Good, saying the woman had blocked federal officers with her SUV and disobeyed orders to get out of her vehicle.—
Juliana Kim,
NPR,
9 Jan. 2026
-
One aviation expert argued that IndiGo not only disobeyed the regulations, but also increased its domestic flights without increasing crew and pilots.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
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A couple of decades’ worth of pressure later, the Supreme Court’s Heller decision affirmed a much broader right to gun ownership than the previous generation’s NRA would have dared thought achievable.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
1 Feb. 2026
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The start of the downfall of the Daniel arap Moi dictatorship belongs, among others, to a small group of courageous Kenyan lawyers who at great risk dared to challenge these government abuses in court.—
Binaifer Nowrojee,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Porter’s family said the father of two was firing gunshots in the air to celebrate the New Year when he was confronted and shot to death by an off-duty ICE agent.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Members have discussed the tactic of writing down immigrants’ addresses on paper, not their phones, and eating the paper if confronted by law enforcement.—
Christina Buttons,
Washington Post,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Utah has resisted pursuits of Kessler in the past, but one wonders if Jackson’s acquisition makes the Jazz more open-minded on this front.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
When asked to take a photo when the Panthers visited the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024 — with Sandra Douglass Morgan and herself, the only two female presidents in the NFL — Coleman at first resisted.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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So, the fact that the Illinois fireworks ban is roundly ignored by Illinoisans is not a surprise to anyone, as the night skies prove on Independence Day.—
Brad Weisenstein,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
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Ackerly says the lesson is simple but often ignored.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Last year, the IRS proposed settling a lawsuit brought by the National Religious Broadcasters, an evangelical Christian media group, and two Texas churches that challenged a ban on most nonprofits from endorsing political candidates in elections.—
Lauren Costantino,
Miami Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
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The controversy comes after competitors of CMDSS challenged the initial decision by the Marshals Service to award the contract, claiming the firm lacked appropriate credentials from the SEC and that its employment of a former staffer from the agency created a conflict of interest.—
Jeff John Roberts,
Fortune,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Among the big names were Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, both of whom appeared to visit Epstein’s island before the financier faced federal charges in 2019.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Jan. 2026
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Under his plea agreement, Pagan faced a potential prison term of 10 to 16 months according to federal sentencing guidelines.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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There was no reference in the agreement to the future of the SDF's all-female fighting units -- a sensitive point as much of the Damascus leaders come from a conservative background and are opposed to women in combat.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Some are opposed to negotiating with Democrats at all.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defied. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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