1
as in disobeying
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
as in daring
to invite (someone) to take part in a contest or to perform a feat
after missing the target, she defied her boyfriend to do better
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in confronting
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 resisting
to refuse to give in to
a bicyclist who regularly defies illness and infirmity in order to compete in races
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defying
Markets defying geopolitical dangers and economic warning signs to regain their year-to-date losses.
—
Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Ryan Gosling’s sci-fi space flick is still defying gravity at the box office, dropping only 23 percent in its fourth week, per Comscore.
—Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Both researchers say this rule-defying material could also give physicists a better understanding of how glass forms, a phenomenon called the glass transition.
—Rohini Subrahmanyam, Scientific American, 13 Apr. 2026
But tropical activity that year, fueled by record warm oceans, ended up above-normal, defying almost all early forecasts.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
Glover could feel the love emanating from our pale blue dot, defying distance.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Enter the prose poem, a genre-defying form that emerged from the nineteenth–century French Symbolists.
—Patrick Dundon, JSTOR Daily, 9 Apr. 2026
Their striking design plays a part, no doubt, but their seemingly physics-defying existence is what really draws a viewer’s eye up.
—Nathalie Nietzsche-Knappe, Architectural Digest, 7 Apr. 2026
For example, Chicago has posted operating losses in 10 of the last 12 years, defying the balanced budget requirement.
—Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Ryan Gosling’s sci-fi space flick is still defying gravity at the box office, dropping only 23 percent in its fourth week, per Comscore.
—Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Both researchers say this rule-defying material could also give physicists a better understanding of how glass forms, a phenomenon called the glass transition.
—Rohini Subrahmanyam, Scientific American, 13 Apr. 2026
But tropical activity that year, fueled by record warm oceans, ended up above-normal, defying almost all early forecasts.
—Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 9 Apr. 2026
Glover could feel the love emanating from our pale blue dot, defying distance.
—Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Enter the prose poem, a genre-defying form that emerged from the nineteenth–century French Symbolists.
—Patrick Dundon, JSTOR Daily, 9 Apr. 2026
Their striking design plays a part, no doubt, but their seemingly physics-defying existence is what really draws a viewer’s eye up.
—Nathalie Nietzsche-Knappe, Architectural Digest, 7 Apr. 2026
For example, Chicago has posted operating losses in 10 of the last 12 years, defying the balanced budget requirement.
—Terry Savage, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defying
Verb
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The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged Nikolas Hart, 25, with six counts, including felony animal cruelty and misdemeanors related to allegations of domestic violence, witness tampering and disobeying a court order.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
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He was arraigned Monday and pleaded not guilty to one felony count of animal cruelty, one misdemeanor charge each of injury to a spouse or cohabitant and attempting to dissuade a victim or witness, and three counts of disobeying a court order to not contact the victim.—
Alex Wigglesworth,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Elsewhere on the menu, coconut and tamarind flavors mingle, producing fusion-style flavors that push dishes just to the edge, enough to be daring but not too much to alienate diners.—
Michael James Rocha,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2026
-
His own series of daring explorations.—
Courtney Crowder,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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To be present in Hungary on the eve of its upcoming elections is to feel the tremors of a regime confronting the prospect of collapse.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The show jumps forward five years for its latest iteration, with the characters confronting adult (in every sense of the word) issues in their lives.—
Shirley Halperin,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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She was taken to a hospital for minor injuries and later booked into the Sonoma County Jail on charges of brandishing a weapon, criminal threats, and resisting officers through force or threats.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The Moores were charged with disorderly conduct and resisting a public officer.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Separate video from Washington shows House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries ignoring a CNN reporter’s question about what should happen with Cherfilus-McCormick.—
Anthony Man,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Apr. 2026
-
In that 2024 series, the Wolves used Rudy Gobert as a roving rim protector while ignoring Aaron Gordon in the corner.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The very player challenging the legitimacy of their playoff series win on a recent podcast stream with his teammate Jordan Walsh.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Proof of the precise location of the plane during childbirth midair and the moment the baby is born can be challenging.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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However, after facing opposition, the bill was amended so that any disciplinary decisions would be handled at the local school level.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
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The museum started as a small window display facing into the alley behind Hattiesburg's Saenger Theater.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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City attorneys used the digital program to transfer discovery to opposing counsel and litigants.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
14 Apr. 2026
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But opposing Russian influence in domestic politics does not inherently mean blindly supporting Ukrainian interests.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defying. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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