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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of defy
Manager Alex Cora believes his hitters will defy people’s low expectations.
—
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
Both Allen and Raye challenge the listener to keep up with the plot twists, defying all the conventional wisdom about the audience’s attention span these days.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2026
Its density, heat capacity, compressibility, and viscosity respond to changes in temperature and pressure in ways that defy typical liquid behavior.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Mar. 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
See All Example Sentences for defy
Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald, 28 Mar. 2026
Both Allen and Raye challenge the listener to keep up with the plot twists, defying all the conventional wisdom about the audience’s attention span these days.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2026
Its density, heat capacity, compressibility, and viscosity respond to changes in temperature and pressure in ways that defy typical liquid behavior.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 27 Mar. 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
See All Example Sentences for defy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defy
Verb
-
Kyorkian was booked into the Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, violation of civil rights (hate crime) and disobeying a court order.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
State police said Bishop was charged with operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs, reckless driving, disobeying the signal of an officer, evading responsibility, driving the wrong way on a divided highway and first-degree reckless endangerment.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Some hockey Warbucks is going to pull up to Carle’s house in a Brink’s truck soon and dare him to ride shotgun.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Take, for instance, a scene featuring a woman in a kind of avant-garde milkmaid ensemble confronting a monstrously tall figure that, upon close examination, is actually a child perched atop a man’s shoulders, wearing a long trench coat.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Facing the future may mean confronting difficult questions and frightening scenarios.—
Kat McGowan,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Supporters describe him as a fighter but Harris resists the label of politician.—
Brian Unger,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Lori’s speech articulates the fundamental twinship of artists and critics—a reality that has always resisted attempts to drive a wedge between the two.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
This is a youngster in great form and proving hard to ignore.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Some Democrats argue that the cost of ignoring young male voters is higher than the risk of association with Piker.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Angels challenged a successful steal by Hoerner in the sixth, but the call was upheld.—
Jay Cohen,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Some two dozen states already challenged the new tariffs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Administration’s treatment of immigration officers as a vulnerable group rests on claims that agents now face unprecedented threats.—
Oriana van Praag,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
This time, however, travelers are already facing long lines and delays due to the ongoing partial government shutdown, which has left thousands of TSA workers without pay.—
De'Anthony Taylor,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Luscious Venus in your 5th House of Originality squares Pluto in your 2nd House of Resources, so projects and budgets will potentially tug your soul in opposing directions.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Polling released March 19 shows nearly two-thirds of Americans believe Trump will deploy troops into Iran, even though more than half of them opposed the move.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defy. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
