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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in resisting
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 defying
Quantum technology firms are defying turbulent markets to go public this year, as the industry seeks to raise capital off recent scientific breakthroughs and push the experimental tech towards commercialization.
—
Dylan Butts,matthew Chin, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
Led by four players who were among the first group of international players to enter the NBA – Drazen Petrovic, Toni Kukoc, Dino Radja, and Stojko Vrankovic – the Croatians emerged as a premier European force, defying expectations and securing a place in basketball history.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 30 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
The current race similarly features a political heavyweight, a wealthy businessman with a substantial advertising presence, and underdog candidates defying expectations about their viability.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
From lead singer Matt Shultz’s gravity-defying jumps to guitarist Brad Shultz’s crowd work, the band kept the audience hyped from the first song to the last.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
Judges have sometimes backed claims that administration officials are defying the law, and even defying direct court orders.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Transportation Security Administration checkpoints at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Love Field were mostly normal Monday morning, defying long lines and worker shortages that have snarled passengers at other busy travel hubs as spring break comes to a close.
—Dallas Morning News, 23 Mar. 2026
American consumers and businesses have repeatedly shaken off shocks since the pandemic — soaring inflation, rising interest rates, tariffs — and continued to spend, defying concerns that the economy would tip into recession.
—Christopher Rugaber, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
Dylan Butts,matthew Chin, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026
Led by four players who were among the first group of international players to enter the NBA – Drazen Petrovic, Toni Kukoc, Dino Radja, and Stojko Vrankovic – the Croatians emerged as a premier European force, defying expectations and securing a place in basketball history.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 30 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
The current race similarly features a political heavyweight, a wealthy businessman with a substantial advertising presence, and underdog candidates defying expectations about their viability.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
From lead singer Matt Shultz’s gravity-defying jumps to guitarist Brad Shultz’s crowd work, the band kept the audience hyped from the first song to the last.
—Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Mar. 2026
Judges have sometimes backed claims that administration officials are defying the law, and even defying direct court orders.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 23 Mar. 2026
Transportation Security Administration checkpoints at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Love Field were mostly normal Monday morning, defying long lines and worker shortages that have snarled passengers at other busy travel hubs as spring break comes to a close.
—Dallas Morning News, 23 Mar. 2026
American consumers and businesses have repeatedly shaken off shocks since the pandemic — soaring inflation, rising interest rates, tariffs — and continued to spend, defying concerns that the economy would tip into recession.
—Christopher Rugaber, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defying
Verb
-
South Windsor police have charged Rodriguez with evading responsibility, disobeying the signal of an officer, reckless driving, engaging police in pursuit and improper use of a marker, license or registration.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
17 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,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Months after a daring hunger strike failed to pause development of Anthropic’s AI Claude, protestors have rallied around the company’s headquarters to call for a complete stop to AI development.—
Joe Wilkins,
Futurism,
26 Mar. 2026
-
At the beginning of the daring raid, a series of US strikes hit targets across Venezuela.—
Michael Rios,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In the video, obtained by local outlet WMBB, Littrell, 51, is seen confronting the beachgoer, identified by the outlet as Kyle Gallagher.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
-
James Baldwin's insight emphasizes the necessity of confronting issues like prejudice and bullying, which require ongoing leadership action; in a video lesson, Kim Scott offers practical strategies to foster respectful team culture and effectively address harmful behaviors.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Pride should come from your willingness to improve, not from resisting uncomfortable truths.—
Johnny C. Taylor Jr,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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One individual was also charged with complicity, and another was charged with resisting arrest, the department said.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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
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But here’s the thing — ignoring your gutters is one of the fastest ways to turn a free weekend project into a budget-wrecking emergency repair.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The president stayed for about 80 minutes, leaving after his solicitor general, John Sauer, wrapped his oral argument and an attorney for the ACLU, challenging the executive order, started hers.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
1 Apr. 2026
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That same day, a square between the sun and Pluto adds a layer of intensity and transformation, challenging outdated belief systems and social environments.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Eastern Regional Mon Valley Police Department Police said that a 28-year-old man from Rankin will be facing multiple charges in connection with the drug bust.—
Mike Darnay,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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One of the biggest issues facing Wall Street and the nation recently is how long the rampant enthusiasm over artificial intelligence will last.—
Kaitlin McCallum,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Humans seemingly have opposing desires to fit in and to be unique.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
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But Swanson isn’t ready to endorse reverse framing, a conceptual strategy in which catchers could try to make strikes look like balls in an effort to fool opposing hitters into wasting a challenge.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defying. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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