1
as in disobeys
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in confronts
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 resists
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 defies
Directed by Semmalar Annam, the Tamil-language film follows a woman married off in her adolescence who defies societal norms to seek financial independence with her young daughter.
—
Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 11 May 2026
Mass transit inherently defies city boundaries.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 4 May 2026
Ignoring that reality defies logic.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2026
Jabil board defies angry shareholders.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
No deaths have been reported, a fact that local officials say defies the odds.
—Ryan Brennan
april 24, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The show is built around Horikoshi’s manga, in which a Quirkless boy named Izuku Midoriya defies the odds to pursue his dream of becoming a hero after the most powerful hero of his era passes his ability on to him.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
That revealed something that defies what current models suggest.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Starring Witherspoon as Woods, the film followed a seemingly superficial sorority president who defies stereotypes by earning a place at Harvard Law School.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 11 May 2026
Mass transit inherently defies city boundaries.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 4 May 2026
Ignoring that reality defies logic.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2026
Jabil board defies angry shareholders.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
No deaths have been reported, a fact that local officials say defies the odds.
—Ryan Brennan
april 24, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The show is built around Horikoshi’s manga, in which a Quirkless boy named Izuku Midoriya defies the odds to pursue his dream of becoming a hero after the most powerful hero of his era passes his ability on to him.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
That revealed something that defies what current models suggest.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Starring Witherspoon as Woods, the film followed a seemingly superficial sorority president who defies stereotypes by earning a place at Harvard Law School.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defies
Verb
-
Still, a young kid is a young kid no matter the era, and to fulfill his wish of seeing real dinosaurs, Arco disobeys his parents.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When the warm weather calls for a sandal, the only pair my mom dares to reach for are her Keen wedge sandals.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
10 May 2026
-
In each case, Akhavan dares the viewer to look closer, and perhaps, for a moment, let an object become more than our preconceptions.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
One of those women, Kris (Lauren Bittner), whose entire demeanor screams former head cheerleader, finally confronts Patricia at her sunset and cocktails event.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
-
This conversation also rarely confronts the workforce problem.—
Jonathan Slater,
STAT,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Trump demonizes immigrants and has launched a sweeping mass-deportation campaign that was cheered by the far right across Europe; Sánchez resists such nativism, and his government is in the midst of a program to give legal status to some half a million undocumented migrants living in Spain.—
Ishaan Tharoor,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
Asked what matters most in shaping long-term leadership impact, Molinaroli resists simplification.—
Ascend Agency,
Chicago Tribune,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
Criminalization also ignores the realities of mental health and poverty.—
Shianne LeClaire,
Hartford Courant,
17 May 2026
-
One brave man ignores a greeting.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The new format challenges players to solve five-letter word puzzles in a battle of smarts, speed and fun.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
-
In 2021 researchers found a quasicrystal—a kind of matter scientists once thought impossible that challenges traditional ideas about how solids form.—
Clara Moskowitz,
Scientific American,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Each faces a felony theft charge, four felony counts of breaking or entering, and a misdemeanor charge of fleeing on foot, the post says.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 May 2026
-
One patient retained normal core disgust reactivity but could no longer recognize disgust in others’ faces; another with anterior insula damage showed dysregulation in both producing and experiencing disgust.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Hezbollah opposes Lebanon’s direct negotiations with Israel and has not been part of the talks.—
Sheikh Saaliq,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
-
Hezbollah opposes Lebanon's direct negotiations with Israel and has not been part of the talks.—
SHEIKH SAALIQ,
Arkansas Online,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defies. Accessed 18 May. 2026.
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