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
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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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defying
The President has now fired two of the NTSB’s five board members before their terms were up, defying a law that Congress wisely intended to wall off the NTSB from political influence.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026
The premise of The Saviors, a genre-defying thriller written (with Travis Betz) and directed by Kevin Hamedani, is undeniably timely, exploring the way faulty assumptions about some unknown Other might have disastrous, even apocalyptic consequences.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
Her rise is the culmination of a 42‑year career spent defying odds in a cockpit still dominated by men (women make up just 6% of pilots), and her story lands just as airlines face a massive pilot shortage and surging demand for new recruits.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
The provocative, genre-defying horror flick boasts unhinged gore, a delightfully dark sense of humor, Madigan as the creepiest aunt ever, and a crowd-pleasing finale.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
On Kirk’s one-hopper, Witt made a full-extension, gravity-defying grab with one out and a runner on first, then threw from his knees and delivered a perfect one-hop throw to Bryce Harper at first base.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
They’re also transported to outer space and explore various planets, like a fiery volcano world, an underwater planet and a techno-land with neon, gravity-defying obstacles.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 9 Mar. 2026
The Dolphins are one of three City Section teams defying the conventional wisdom that City Section talent level has collapsed.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Israel has long been accused of violating humanitarian law and defying numerous United Nations resolutions.
—Ken Barnes, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2026
The premise of The Saviors, a genre-defying thriller written (with Travis Betz) and directed by Kevin Hamedani, is undeniably timely, exploring the way faulty assumptions about some unknown Other might have disastrous, even apocalyptic consequences.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
Her rise is the culmination of a 42‑year career spent defying odds in a cockpit still dominated by men (women make up just 6% of pilots), and her story lands just as airlines face a massive pilot shortage and surging demand for new recruits.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
The provocative, genre-defying horror flick boasts unhinged gore, a delightfully dark sense of humor, Madigan as the creepiest aunt ever, and a crowd-pleasing finale.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 Mar. 2026
On Kirk’s one-hopper, Witt made a full-extension, gravity-defying grab with one out and a runner on first, then threw from his knees and delivered a perfect one-hop throw to Bryce Harper at first base.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2026
They’re also transported to outer space and explore various planets, like a fiery volcano world, an underwater planet and a techno-land with neon, gravity-defying obstacles.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 9 Mar. 2026
The Dolphins are one of three City Section teams defying the conventional wisdom that City Section talent level has collapsed.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Israel has long been accused of violating humanitarian law and defying numerous United Nations resolutions.
—Ken Barnes, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defying
Verb
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Michael Schade, who works in the department’s traffic division, said most e-bike accidents were caused by riders disobeying basic traffic rules, like running red lights and not stopping at stop signs.—
Alissa Gary,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Michael Schade, who works in the department’s traffic division, said most e-bike accidents were caused by riders disobeying basic traffic rules, like running red lights and not stopping at stop signs.—
Alissa Gary,
Miami Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Then there are so many corners that are technical, but then also daring.—
John Sturbin,
Dallas Morning News,
13 Mar. 2026
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Over two centuries later, the daring bridge that changed the engineering game is still in use.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The most recent one, starting in November 2022, saw Iger confronting vexing issues like AI, labor unrest and the need to lay off thousands of workers amid sweeping industry consolidation.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
18 Mar. 2026
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In my own experience, Maryland farmers tend to be the most aggressive in confronting animal cruelty.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For Chen, beauty becomes a way of resisting reductive portrayals of communities defined by poverty.—
Lise Pedersen,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
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He was later arrested, briefly hospitalized for a potential overdose, and charged with three counts of battery with injury on a police officer and one count of resisting an arresting officer.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There are ways that Chalamet can pick himself back up, perhaps most of all by ignoring the specter of the statue, doing the work and being part of an ensemble once again.—
Josh Spiegel,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Mar. 2026
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And that will mean ignoring a whole lot of noise.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Experts estimate that their new world tour could become the best-selling ever, challenging Taylor Swift’s $2 billion record, while Bloomberg predicted that today’s launch concert alone could generate as much as $177 million in economic activity for Seoul.—
Jeronimo Gonzalez,
semafor.com,
20 Mar. 2026
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America’s Communications Association (ACA Connects), a trade group representing small and midsize TV and broadband providers, issued a statement regarding the lawsuits challenging Nexstar’s Tegna takeover.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Their perspectives should be central to the story, and Theroux’s even inadvertent sidelining of their experiences underscore a deeper issue facing the accurate portrayal of sexism and gender dynamics in documentaries.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
19 Mar. 2026
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The Internet is…the Internet, and soon Shah is facing escalating threats and disapproving media coverage, including a column by his ex (Ritu Arya’s Yasmin), arguing that a Pakistani-British man playing James Bond won’t erase the character’s neo-colonial stench, so why bother?—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Republicans are eager to put Democrats on record opposing the bill’s hallmark components, including proof of citizenship when registering to vote and a national standard for photo IDs at the ballot box.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Mar. 2026
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Rather, they are required to provide such opportunities if legally qualified opposing candidates request it.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defying. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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