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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defied
In November 2004, off the coast of San Diego, multiple US Navy pilots from the USS Nimitz Strike Group spotted a white object resembling a Tic Tac breath mint, maneuvering in ways that defied aerodynamics.
—
Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
Investigators say the findings reinforce their view that Bolsonaro remains a flight risk and has repeatedly defied court orders while under house arrest.
—Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
The pass from the Japanese winger was slightly overhit, but the gliding running style and a marginal change of direction by last summer’s £25million signing from Mainz defied the covering Rayan Ait-Nouri’s attempt to intercept.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2025
Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, of the LDP, has defied calls to step down after his coalition received a shellacking in three consecutive elections under his watch.
—Mireya Solís, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Those expectations were defied Friday, and the Eagles gave Ryan a war.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2025
The deposition is intended to shed light on whether Lake has complied with the remaining authority Lamberth has in the matter or has effectively defied a federal court order.
—Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Diagnosed with a rare immune disorder as a child and told there was no cure, Courtney defied the odds.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
For two decades, Kazakhstan defied the global pattern of falling births that usually accompanies economic development.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
Investigators say the findings reinforce their view that Bolsonaro remains a flight risk and has repeatedly defied court orders while under house arrest.
—Julia Vargas Jones, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
The pass from the Japanese winger was slightly overhit, but the gliding running style and a marginal change of direction by last summer’s £25million signing from Mainz defied the covering Rayan Ait-Nouri’s attempt to intercept.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2025
Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, of the LDP, has defied calls to step down after his coalition received a shellacking in three consecutive elections under his watch.
—Mireya Solís, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
Those expectations were defied Friday, and the Eagles gave Ryan a war.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2025
The deposition is intended to shed light on whether Lake has complied with the remaining authority Lamberth has in the matter or has effectively defied a federal court order.
—Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Diagnosed with a rare immune disorder as a child and told there was no cure, Courtney defied the odds.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2025
For two decades, Kazakhstan defied the global pattern of falling births that usually accompanies economic development.
—Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defied
Verb
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The residents were so close and looked out for each other so well, in fact, that no one even dared to paste up small ads in the neighborhood, for fear they’d be caught by the senior citizens.—
Jack Hargreaves,
The Dial,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Tate McRae dared to bare in a sheer white Grecian-style dress which exposed her underwear ahead of her performance.—
Jackie Fields,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Chicago officials, faced with pressure from the teachers union and community groups, have not confronted this challenge.—
Mila Koumpilova,
ProPublica,
9 Sep. 2025
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However, the pair were soon confronted by an unidentified woman, who started to argue angrily with them.—
George Ramsay,
CNN Money,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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While there, the police allege that Pettway interfered with their actions, cursed at them, was difficult to deal with and resisted arrest when Trooper Brennan Kelly ordered him to go to the front of the house.—
Tresa Baldas,
Freep.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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South Korean authorities repeatedly asked Google to change the location names – but Google resisted and became embroiled in several other South Korean map-labeling controversies in the following years, Ahn wrote in a paper about the topic.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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According to a passenger who spotted her aboard the plane, the congressional representative had ignored a friendly greeting from the economy-cabin flier.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Sep. 2025
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Sometimes, they’d be turned away, and other times, ignored.—
David Rodriguez Muñoz,
Freep.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Wilcox challenged the dismissal.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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In an article for Harvard Business Review, Allison Shapira explored how post-pandemic shifts have challenged conventional wardrobe norms.—
Darlin Tillery,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Tennessee faced a third-and-10 at their own 35-yard line, and the crowd at Empower Field was at a fever pitch.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Democrats faced a fair amount of criticism from their ranks over going along with keeping the government open back in the spring.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Two key points in the case were that board members who personally opposed the books took the action against the input of an advisory committee, and that the board members' action was based on speculative, not actual, fears of disruption.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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The county attorney’s office opposed Gooden’s petition to the court in 2020 to restore his firearms rights and a judge did not restore them.—
Mara H. Gottfried,
Twin Cities,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defied. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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