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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defy
In a season defined by defying the odds, a seven-game series against the Carolina Hurricanes poses arguably the toughest challenge yet for the upstart Philadelphia Flyers.
—
Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Youth-defying goalie Duran Ferree reinforced the back line’s confidence with three straight clean sheets to begin the season.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026
Tatum defied the odds by returning less than 10 months later and helped the Celtics jump out to a 3-1 series lead over the seventh-seeded Sixers.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
Vatican prosecutors on Thursday seemingly defied an appeals court order to turn over to the defense all the evidence gathered in the Vatican’s big financial trial, setting the stage for another clash in the long-running case.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defy
Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Youth-defying goalie Duran Ferree reinforced the back line’s confidence with three straight clean sheets to begin the season.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026
Tatum defied the odds by returning less than 10 months later and helped the Celtics jump out to a 3-1 series lead over the seventh-seeded Sixers.
—Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
Vatican prosecutors on Thursday seemingly defied an appeals court order to turn over to the defense all the evidence gathered in the Vatican’s big financial trial, setting the stage for another clash in the long-running case.
—ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defy
Verb
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However, all of the city’s fire stations seemingly disobeyed the mayor by lowering their flags.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Trump had to relent on a scheme to prosecute Fed Chair Jerome Powell for disobeying White House commands to cut interest rates.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Los Angeles is going to have to sell out on Gilgeous-Alexander and dare Thunder shooters to beat them, especially with Jalen Williams out.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
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The Trail Blazers used the Donovan Clingan in this role in the opening round, with the 7-2 Clingan sagging off Castle and daring him to shoot from the outside.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Antonio Express-News,
3 May 2026
Verb
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After noticing that one of the items purchased was the entire Lip Critic discography on Bandcamp, Kaser was later confronted by the fan at one of their shows, who claimed to have decoded hidden messages in their music.—
Alastair Shuttleworth,
Pitchfork,
2 May 2026
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As countries around the world confront the economic fallout from the Iran conflict, Asian economies have been particularly hard hit.—
Wendy Cutler,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Verb
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Many Jewish people across the world are Zionists, and so there is a temptation, which needs to be resisted, to hold Jewish people across the world responsible for the misdeeds of Israel.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
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Sometimes, that requires making small but meaningful adjustments, like warming washcloths for a patient who resists basic care.—
Nancy Badertscher,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The federal judge in that case ruled that a jury could find that State Farm had acted in bad faith if the plaintiffs' lawyers demonstrated that the company ignored certain kinds of hail damage.—
Michael Copley,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
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In crush, puncture, and saw tests, the battery produced no smoke or flames – a safety profile that's hard to ignore.—
Omar Kardoudi
April 28,
New Atlas,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In these college chapters, the book’s velocity matches her quest for a language to challenge the calls for race and gender blindness that had become a popular solution to inequality in America.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
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For some couples, this shift in dynamics can be challenging enough that partners cannot envision continuing the relationship.—
Patricia Neligan,
AJC.com,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Sandwiched between two hegemonic powers and facing an uncertain future, an emerging generation of artists, writers, and designers began exploring new areas of subjectivity.—
Pauline J. Yao,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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The demonstration also touched on various issues that Americans have been facing including the rising cost of food and gas due in part to tariffs, the war in Iran and immigration sweeps that experts have said contributed to a shortage of agricultural workers.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Verb
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That means cutting federal regulations driving up housing costs, lowering the tax burden on working families, opposing any new gas or vehicle mileage taxes and cutting reckless spending that drives inflation.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
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The Moon in Capricorn moves through your 10th House of Career, opposing Jupiter in your 4th, highlighting that tension.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defy. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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