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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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of defy
Biles continues to defy limits and redefine greatness.
—
Okla Jones, Essence, 17 July 2025
The July 21 sentence defied a last-minute request from federal prosecutors that Brett Hankison receive only a one-day sentence.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 21 July 2025
The TikTok episode suggests that when political pressure mounts, even the most sophisticated corporations can make decisions that defy basic business logic.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 July 2025
Can the Thunder defy the odds and maintain that core?
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for defy
Okla Jones, Essence, 17 July 2025
The July 21 sentence defied a last-minute request from federal prosecutors that Brett Hankison receive only a one-day sentence.
—N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 21 July 2025
The TikTok episode suggests that when political pressure mounts, even the most sophisticated corporations can make decisions that defy basic business logic.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 July 2025
Can the Thunder defy the odds and maintain that core?
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for defy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defy
Verb
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Boasberg previously found probable cause to hold the Trump administration in criminal contempt for willfully disobeying his order to immediately halt deportations.—
Rebecca Beitsch,
The Hill,
28 July 2025
-
Jessica Leslie agreed to plead guilty to a charge of criminal contempt that accused her of willfully disobeying court rules against disclosure of grand jury information.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
15 July 2025
Verb
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Stayed away my whole life, not daring to be near me.—
Julia Moore,
People.com,
30 July 2025
-
A lot of watches on this list have bold designs, daring details, bright colors, and subdials galore.—
Andy Boxall,
Wired News,
29 July 2025
Verb
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On the day she was murdered, Akter was pushing her son in a stroller with a friend when Masum confronted her.—
KC Baker,
People.com,
22 July 2025
-
As the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches in late August, viewers can expect a slew of reflective documentaries confronting that fathomable/unfathomable dichotomy — projects made without expectations of equaling When the Levees Broke, but with a different imperative in mind.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
22 July 2025
Verb
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If a student tries to evade this process and just asks for the answer, the AI will resist the request and instead redirect the student to engage with the material.—
Ray Ravaglia,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
-
Of course, powerful pollution interests resist any positive change to the status quo.—
Mel Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 July 2025
Verb
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Donald Trump promised to go after the worst of the worst, but his administration's heavy-handed tactics in many cases ignore people's constitutional rights and the rule of law.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 July 2025
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Having said that, beachgoers have already been ignoring signs and fencing to get to the beach, especially on weekends.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
23 July 2025
Verb
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There are numerous other active lawsuits challenging Trump’s tariffs, but the V.O.S. case is the furthest one along and its outcome could dictate how other cases fare.—
Kevin Breuninger,Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
31 July 2025
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Joaquin Phoenix stars as the local sheriff, who becomes increasingly frustrated by the mayor's (Pascal) enforcement of mask mandates and decides to challenge him in the upcoming mayoral election.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
31 July 2025
Verb
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Allianz’s Global Boiling report warns that heatwaves alone could subtract 0.5 percentage points from Europe’s GDP in 2025, with Spain facing losses as high as 1.4%.—
Felicia Jackson,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Celebrity status became an advantage for these public figures when entering the courtroom and facing a jury of their peers, experts told Fox News Digital.—
Lauryn Overhultz , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Senators Rand Paul and Tim Kaine oppose the tariffs, citing negative impacts on businesses and retaliatory tariffs from allies.—
Olivia Evans,
The Courier-Journal,
31 July 2025
-
Tennessee Democrats oppose the project, citing concerns about privatization of infrastructure.—
Stuart Dyos,
The Tennessean,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defy. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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