1
as in disobeys
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
3
as in confronts
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 resists
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 defies
Every year, the Crew defies expectations.
—
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The Justice Department says that interpretation defies the plain text of the law.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Lendeborg’s success story defies the typical blue-chip narrative in basketball recruiting.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
While the broader airline sector is weathering a storm of escalating costs and geopolitical fragmentation, Delta Air Lines (DAL) has managed to maintain an altitude that defies the market’s current gravitational pull.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
The clash with Thune defies months of cooperation that helped Trump usher his Cabinet and signature tax cuts through Congress.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 16 Mar. 2026
There’s a chance Boozer defies those expectations.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 15 Mar. 2026
Despite years of debate and follow-up studies, an odd streak of cosmic light still defies a final explanation.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 13 Mar. 2026
The variety of these designs show Radić to be an architect who defies categorization — and one who intentionally eschews a signature style.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
The Justice Department says that interpretation defies the plain text of the law.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Lendeborg’s success story defies the typical blue-chip narrative in basketball recruiting.
—Sydney Lake, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
While the broader airline sector is weathering a storm of escalating costs and geopolitical fragmentation, Delta Air Lines (DAL) has managed to maintain an altitude that defies the market’s current gravitational pull.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 23 Mar. 2026
The clash with Thune defies months of cooperation that helped Trump usher his Cabinet and signature tax cuts through Congress.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 16 Mar. 2026
There’s a chance Boozer defies those expectations.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 15 Mar. 2026
Despite years of debate and follow-up studies, an odd streak of cosmic light still defies a final explanation.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 13 Mar. 2026
The variety of these designs show Radić to be an architect who defies categorization — and one who intentionally eschews a signature style.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defies
Verb
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Still, a young kid is a young kid no matter the era, and to fulfill his wish of seeing real dinosaurs, Arco disobeys his parents.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Trump’s Cabinet meetings might as well be filmed in North Korea what with the obsequious pandering before one of them dares speak.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2026
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Her legacy indeed lives on in Definitely Thriving, a book which dares to treat the small canvas of an ordinary woman’s experience with seriousness and respect, all the while maintaining that necessary sense of humor which makes the whole thing—life itself—mostly bearable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Watch for being overly reactive as the Gemini moon confronts Mars.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
-
In the memoir, Donovan confronts the origins of his mental health issues, talks about growing up poor in a 900-square-foot home managed heroically by his single mother, Donna, and how even his greatest successes on the field left him unfulfilled.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Ri’s work resists binaries, instead offering a fluid continuum where transformation is constant.—
Olga Garcia-Mayoral,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
-
To this day, her work resists categorization.—
Patricia Zohn,
Air Mail,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But that argument ignores the structure of the program.—
Demetrius Atsalis,
Boston Herald,
27 Mar. 2026
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All pitchers agree that the guy holding the bat generates crucial data that a pitcher ignores at his peril.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The funding is ongoing while Colorado challenges the policy in court, but if reductions are made permanent, Mahanan predicts a wave of day care closures, almost overnight.—
Shay Castle,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
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The game challenges players to guess the hourly burrito combination for a chance to unlock prizes.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Social Security faces a shortfall as soon as 2032.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
-
For the second time in less than a week, Luka Doncic faces a one-game suspension because of technical foul accumulation.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But a local group, Middlebury Small Town Alliance that opposes warehouse construction particularly at the Timex property, filed a legal challenge in Waterbury Superior Court.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
-
McMorrow opposes Schumer; el Sayed did not respond.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defies. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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