1
as in to disobey
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 to confront
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 to resist
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 defy
Xhaka was one of the best midfielders in the Premier League last season as Sunderland defied all expectations to finish seventh, three places above Chelsea.
—
Graham Ruthven,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
While Japan were widely expected to progress beyond the group stage, Australia have defied the odds to make it this far.
—
Graham Ruthven,
New York Times,
29 June 2026
Bello’s regression this season has been shocking to behold, and his Jekyll and Hyde act when starting games versus coming out as a bulk reliever defies explanation.
—
Mac Cerullo,
Hartford Courant,
28 June 2026
The president has harshly criticized judges who have ruled against him, and his administration has sometimes defied their orders.
—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for defy
Graham Ruthven,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
While Japan were widely expected to progress beyond the group stage, Australia have defied the odds to make it this far.
—
Graham Ruthven,
New York Times,
29 June 2026
Bello’s regression this season has been shocking to behold, and his Jekyll and Hyde act when starting games versus coming out as a bulk reliever defies explanation.
—
Mac Cerullo,
Hartford Courant,
28 June 2026
The president has harshly criticized judges who have ruled against him, and his administration has sometimes defied their orders.
—
Nicholas Riccardi,
Los Angeles Times,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for defy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defy
Verb
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Santana-Mateo was booked on charges of breach of peace, engaging police in a pursuit, disobeying the direction of officer, reckless driving, failure to obey a stop sign, failure to drive right, failure to obey a traffic control signal and driving the wrong way on a one way.
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In 2024, the agency claimed that X security staff sometimes had to pointedly disobey Musk in order to remain in compliance.
Verb
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Substitute Desire Doue provided the magic, tiptoeing past opponents in the penalty area and daring a dangling leg from Diego Gomez.
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Over 1,100 competitors daring to make it to the top of the country’s largest seven-day table tennis tournament will compete through July 9 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.
Verb
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The episode ends with a heated exchange where Corlys confronts Rhaenyra for publicly styling his son as Addam of Hull, declining his request for his son to be acknowledged as a Velaryon by the crown.
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Rhaenyra realizes that she’s been played and confronts the child.
Verb
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Under owner Arte Moreno, the Angels have resisted rebuilding, preferring to add lower-tier free agents and rush college players to the major leagues in an effort to field a competitive roster.
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Are the foundations laid in 1776 and 1789 still strong enough and sound enough to resist the tremors of our times?
Verb
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Swift will either ignore the noise as usual, or smile at the absurdity as a secure, proud childless cat lady.
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Not only were the rules misapplied, according to an expert referee with years of elite experience, but similar plays during this tournament have been ignored.
Verb
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Isaienko and his friends wanted to challenge the perception that climbing was reserved for elite athletes.
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However, with thousands of dividend-paying companies to choose from, identifying the right stocks can be challenging.
Verb
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But the court also said the people facing deportation must pursue their cases individually where they are being held, under what are called habeas petitions, rather than collectively, under what is called a class action.
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The University of California Health system and Cigna, facing a July 1 deadline to reach a new contract covering a large group of Sacramento-area patients, have agreed to an extension to allow more time for negotiations.
Verb
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As singers took opposing sides, Jones told the MTV crew to stop filming.
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Some left-leaning policy organizations also oppose the charges.
Cite this Entry
“Defy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defy. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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