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
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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
Yet the unit also targets dissenters and those, including various clans, some backed by Israel, that dare to defy Hamas’s rule.
—
Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
And congrats to Gold House for defying categorization.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 12 Sep. 2025
Oracle's meteoric rise continues to defy expectations.
—Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025
Investors, in the meantime, are hailing Pop Mart, the company behind the global success of Labubu, as an economic slowdown-defying wonder.
—Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defy
Sean Durns, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025
And congrats to Gold House for defying categorization.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 12 Sep. 2025
Oracle's meteoric rise continues to defy expectations.
—Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 12 Sep. 2025
Investors, in the meantime, are hailing Pop Mart, the company behind the global success of Labubu, as an economic slowdown-defying wonder.
—Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defy
Verb
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Hamas has called on residents of Gaza City to disobey the evacuation order.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Sep. 2025
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Fischer faces charges of first-degree reckless endangerment, interfering with an officer, reckless driving, disobeying traffic control signals, failure to drive in the proper lane, disobeying the signal of an officer, failure to display plates and engaging police in a pursuit.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Her collectedness collapses as Johnson turns the joke into a physical act-out, becoming almost insulted that this earthquake dared to frighten her.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
15 Sep. 2025
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Where are the bisexuals who are daring and creative and literally have the power to change or save the world?—
Catherine Mhloyi,
Them.,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Getting confronted with gruesome, horrific imagery has, unfortunately, become an assumed risk when logging onto social media.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Jurors at the trial in Fort Pierce, Florida, heard from the Secret Service agent who confronted an armed Routh on the golf course before Routh fled, and a witness who identified Routh to police.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Cook, who remains at the Federal Reserve, has sued the president to resist her dismissal.—
Chris Prentice,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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Other times, long rates resist or even rise, flattening the curve and blunting the Fed’s impact.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That many in the media have ignored the unit’s rise is an indictment.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Amid all its glorious and aesthetic architecture lies the massive environmental impact that cannot be ignored.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Advertisement By the time of the civil rights movement, broader social and cultural changes had strengthened individuals’ sense of personal liberty, and activism challenged policy brutality and discretionary overreach.—
Time,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
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Encouraging private employers to fire people for expressing certain viewpoints risks encouraging viewpoint discrimination, chilling free speech, and may improperly challenge state laws that protect speech and off-duty conduct.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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One of the main challenges facing the economy is the strained relationship between Beijing and Washington as disputes over technology and geopolitics mount.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Sep. 2025
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Jackson faced several setbacks this season but proved her fitness during the 100-meter dash rounds the past two days.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The takeover remains widely unpopular among Washington residents – some 80% oppose it, according to a Washington Post poll.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
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Charles and Harry’s meeting aside, Prince William wasn’t the only one reportedly opposed to reconciliation.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defy. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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