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
Sure, Ramadan food can be kebabs and baklava, but Ramadan food, especially in America, defies boxes and is its own delicious, mischievous thing.
—
Zahir Janmohamed, Bon Appétit, 13 Mar. 2025
Jesus loves the children, and advocating for them to be exposed to preventable sickness and death defies every tenet of Jesus loving the little children.
—Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2025
The game’s setting defies traditional period adaptation, taking place in a surreal version of the 1990s where castles loom over brutalist architecture and corporate high-rises sit alongside industrial ruins.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Mar. 2025
The viral video showcased the pair's endearing bond that defies typical cat-dog dynamics, and has sparked an outpouring of adoring comments from animal lovers on the platform.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
The film is a pulsing, essayistic docu-fiction piece that defies categorization.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025
This evacuation call further defies the notion of the two-state solution grounded in fairness and justice.
—Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 26 Jan. 2025
This playfulness with form and narrative, Guellaty says, defies Western audiences’ expectations of what a Tunisian film looks like.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 26 Jan. 2025
The British artist whose sound often defies genre conventions moved to Prague in 2022 to film The Crow, the 2024 gothic-romance flop opposite Bill Skarsgård.
—Arimeta Diop, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2025
Zahir Janmohamed, Bon Appétit, 13 Mar. 2025
Jesus loves the children, and advocating for them to be exposed to preventable sickness and death defies every tenet of Jesus loving the little children.
—Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2025
The game’s setting defies traditional period adaptation, taking place in a surreal version of the 1990s where castles loom over brutalist architecture and corporate high-rises sit alongside industrial ruins.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Mar. 2025
The viral video showcased the pair's endearing bond that defies typical cat-dog dynamics, and has sparked an outpouring of adoring comments from animal lovers on the platform.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
The film is a pulsing, essayistic docu-fiction piece that defies categorization.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025
This evacuation call further defies the notion of the two-state solution grounded in fairness and justice.
—Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 26 Jan. 2025
This playfulness with form and narrative, Guellaty says, defies Western audiences’ expectations of what a Tunisian film looks like.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 26 Jan. 2025
The British artist whose sound often defies genre conventions moved to Prague in 2022 to film The Crow, the 2024 gothic-romance flop opposite Bill Skarsgård.
—Arimeta Diop, Vulture, 24 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defies
Verb
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But the vote dares Senate Democrats to oppose GOP priorities and risk a partial government shutdown at midnight Friday, as the nation faces economic uncertainty and stocks markets wobble.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA TODAY,
12 Mar. 2025
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The vote dares Senate Democrats to oppose the GOP priorities and risk a partial government shutdown at midnight Friday, as the nation faces economic uncertainty and stocks markets wobble.—
Bart Jansen,
USA TODAY,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Democrats expressed their distaste with the GOP plan after they were iced out of negotiations for the short-term legislation that ignores their demand to put guardrails on Elon Musk’s federal cost-cutting mission through the Department of Government Efficiency.—
Lauren Green,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Work-Life Intersections Career planning in our organizations often ignores life's complexities.—
Dan Pontefract,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Alexander Isak is expected to be fit to start for Newcastle United against Manchester United on Sunday, but Anthony Gordon faces a late fitness test.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
-
The Emirati faces re-election at the end of the year.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Later, Hudak filed a motion to stay the judge’s order until there is an outcome of the appeal, something that the AP opposes.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
9 Apr. 2025
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The president’s billionaire cost-cutting adviser Elon Musk, who opposes tariffs, is taking aim at the president’s top trade adviser, Peter Navarro, to express his disgust with the burgeoning trade war.—
Jonathan Easley,
The Hill,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defies. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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