1
as in disobeyed
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in confronted
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 resisted
to refuse to give in to
a bicyclist who regularly defies illness and infirmity in order to compete in races
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defied
That also defied Reuters poll expectations of 33.
—
Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026
Hezbollah defied assessments it had been substantially weakened by its two-year involvement in the war in Gaza, firing rockets and drones daily toward northern Israel.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
But in the early 19th century, mathematicians started to encounter phenomena — infinite sums and strange, jagged curves, for instance — that defied their intuition for what was possible.
—Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
The turn that defied all logic and led to one of the greatest ever Premier League goals against Newcastle in March 2002.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The mystery of his identity has long been part of the value of his art, which for decades and across continents defied authority from public walls and self-shredded on the auction block.
—Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
All in a day’s work for this 11th-seeded Texas team that has defied reason — and most brackets — and has suddenly emerged from the first week of the tournament arguably as the hottest team in the country.
—Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 22 Mar. 2026
The mystery of his identity has long been part of the value of his art, which for decades and across continents defied authority from public walls and self-shredded on the auction block.
—Laurie Kellman, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Last year families defied all our holiday rules.
—Kelly G. Richardson, Oc Register, 20 Mar. 2026
Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026
Hezbollah defied assessments it had been substantially weakened by its two-year involvement in the war in Gaza, firing rockets and drones daily toward northern Israel.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
But in the early 19th century, mathematicians started to encounter phenomena — infinite sums and strange, jagged curves, for instance — that defied their intuition for what was possible.
—Leila Sloman, Quanta Magazine, 25 Mar. 2026
The turn that defied all logic and led to one of the greatest ever Premier League goals against Newcastle in March 2002.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The mystery of his identity has long been part of the value of his art, which for decades and across continents defied authority from public walls and self-shredded on the auction block.
—Laurie Kellman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026
All in a day’s work for this 11th-seeded Texas team that has defied reason — and most brackets — and has suddenly emerged from the first week of the tournament arguably as the hottest team in the country.
—Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle, 22 Mar. 2026
The mystery of his identity has long been part of the value of his art, which for decades and across continents defied authority from public walls and self-shredded on the auction block.
—Laurie Kellman, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Last year families defied all our holiday rules.
—Kelly G. Richardson, Oc Register, 20 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defied
Verb
-
In one story, the king, Hiranyakashipu, ordered everyone in his kingdom to worship him and was irked when his own son Prahlad, a devotee of Lord Vishnu, disobeyed his command.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
-
In the internal report, an ICE agent wrote that Martinez appeared intoxicated or impaired and disobeyed verbal instructions to stop and exit his vehicle.—
Bayliss Wagner,
San Antonio Express-News,
22 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
But Cal Baptist closed that curtain and dared someone else — anyone else — to score a bucket.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Hadi sometimes emerged to buy provisions or to visit his friends, who occasionally dared to gather in kitchens, on rooftops, or in basement shelters.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The victim’s father confronted Duggar about the incidents this year, investigators learned.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The conclusion among many was that Iran was now an enemy to be confronted and contained.—
Mohammed Sergie,
semafor.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
And the president's frustration with the alliance has appeared to increase as member countries have resisted his calls to send ships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Trump had previously resisted any package that did not include his push to overhaul federal elections known as the Save America Act.—
Sam Gringlas,
NPR,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Ames is one of thousands of women who have felt ignored by medical professionals.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Since ancient times, athletes have often ignored the rules in their quest for glory.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The court’s comments came from a case brought by the Miami Herald that challenged keeping a portion of a grand jury’s report secret.—
Lawrence Mower,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Perez challenged a 94 mph fastball thrown by Royals starting pitcher Cole Ragans in the fourth inning.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In June 2025, he was finally charged with Lynn's attack and faced a life sentence for each of the additional crimes he was now charged with.—
Lauren Clark,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Steyer faced questions about his offshore investments before.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Tea Party protests that began to erupt in 2009 among conservatives opposed to President Barack Obama were credited with boosting Republican turnout in the 2010 midterms, when the GOP gained 63 seats and control of the House of Representatives in a red wave.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
When the Republican governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, signed a bill that gave two hundred and fifty million taxpayer dollars to the hedge-fund managers who owned the Milwaukee Bucks for a new stadium, the libertarian Cato Institute was among the groups that opposed it.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defied. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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