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
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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
Jeddah, the film follows a young Saudi girl and her Sudanese driver whose unlikely friendship defies social boundaries and time.
—
Essie Assibu, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
The scale of riches amassed by Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, and Jeff Bezos, for instance, defies our ability to grasp rationally, yet Reich finds a way to capture it in understandable terms.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
To Subu’s defenders, that logic defies both fairness and decency.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
The finding is part of a trend that defies the norm in biology.
—Anna Demming, Quanta Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025
The reader is thus confronted in the opening passages of both these works with a surreal phenomenon which defies interpretation.
—Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
Its economy today is one that defies gravity.
—Peter Vanham, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
On Bosnia-Herzegovina, Vučić has also backtracked, expressing support for long-time Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik – who has been barred from office by the country’s constitutional court, but defies that ruling.
—Hanna Begić, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
Lima defies culinary expectations at every turn.
—Marisol Mosquera, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
Essie Assibu, Variety, 17 Oct. 2025
The scale of riches amassed by Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, and Jeff Bezos, for instance, defies our ability to grasp rationally, yet Reich finds a way to capture it in understandable terms.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
To Subu’s defenders, that logic defies both fairness and decency.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
The finding is part of a trend that defies the norm in biology.
—Anna Demming, Quanta Magazine, 10 Oct. 2025
The reader is thus confronted in the opening passages of both these works with a surreal phenomenon which defies interpretation.
—Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
Its economy today is one that defies gravity.
—Peter Vanham, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
On Bosnia-Herzegovina, Vučić has also backtracked, expressing support for long-time Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik – who has been barred from office by the country’s constitutional court, but defies that ruling.
—Hanna Begić, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025
Lima defies culinary expectations at every turn.
—Marisol Mosquera, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defies
Verb
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Yet no less worthy are the moments of self-correction, when a thinker dares to undo what once seemed certain.—
Shai Tubali,
Big Think,
30 Sep. 2025
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The commentary on how responsibilities take over our lives, forcing us to dismiss what’s truly valuable, never dares to substantially poke at the reasons why this occurs, such as economic inequality, lack of opportunities and corporate greed.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Soegeng’s investigation, however, confronts him with the foundations of corruption – a truth too close for comfort.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Not long after, the man confronts Abby at a gas station and tells her to stay out of his life.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Verna insists the souls of the dead live within the alien ship, but Mitsuki resists the lure.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Her lens resists finality; every image feels open-ended, as if the story could turn in any direction.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And anybody who ignores these issues does so at their peril.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
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This willfully blinkered vision, or, more precisely, reëlection platform, ignores the cost in global opinion along with the moral and political fractures within Israel itself.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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This directly challenges a pervasive myth of the monolithic leader.—
Jason BARNARD,
Rolling Stone,
20 Oct. 2025
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Irvine now challenges herself with small print, crosswords, and product labels.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Economists warn the incoming administration faces immediate challenges, including securing fuel supplies and building coalitions in a fragmented legislature.—
Reuters 3 min ago,
CNN Money,
20 Oct. 2025
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The district also faces financial challenges, with expenses exceeding general fund revenue starting in the 2024-25 school year.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Councilor Jesse Brown, who opposes the deal, said on social media Friday that the councilors sent a similar opposition letter to Gray's office for her consideration.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Mainstream Jewish groups maintain that anti-Zionism, a broad term that generally opposes the idea of a standalone state with a Jewish-majority population, is antisemitic.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
14 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defies. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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