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
Relevance
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
Jabil board defies angry shareholders.
—
Jim Edwards, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
No deaths have been reported, a fact that local officials say defies the odds.
—Ryan Brennan
april 24, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The show is built around Horikoshi’s manga, in which a Quirkless boy named Izuku Midoriya defies the odds to pursue his dream of becoming a hero after the most powerful hero of his era passes his ability on to him.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
That revealed something that defies what current models suggest.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 Apr. 2026
These pieces, written for piano in the late 1880s, have a spectral beauty that defies language.
—Mark Richardson, Pitchfork, 11 Apr. 2026
Starring Witherspoon as Woods, the film followed a seemingly superficial sorority president who defies stereotypes by earning a place at Harvard Law School.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
Furthermore, this belief defies common sense.
—David S. Ludwig, STAT, 9 Apr. 2026
This is the second recent case that defies sound judgment.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
Jim Edwards, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026
No deaths have been reported, a fact that local officials say defies the odds.
—Ryan Brennan
april 24, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The show is built around Horikoshi’s manga, in which a Quirkless boy named Izuku Midoriya defies the odds to pursue his dream of becoming a hero after the most powerful hero of his era passes his ability on to him.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
That revealed something that defies what current models suggest.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 Apr. 2026
These pieces, written for piano in the late 1880s, have a spectral beauty that defies language.
—Mark Richardson, Pitchfork, 11 Apr. 2026
Starring Witherspoon as Woods, the film followed a seemingly superficial sorority president who defies stereotypes by earning a place at Harvard Law School.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
Furthermore, this belief defies common sense.
—David S. Ludwig, STAT, 9 Apr. 2026
This is the second recent case that defies sound judgment.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defies
Verb
-
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
-
Continue reading … MAP WARS HEAT UP — DeSantis dares Hakeem Jeffries to visit Florida after 'f-around and find out' taunt.—
,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
-
And there’s that quesadilla negro with the squid-ink tortilla and the short rib and the green goddess, the quesadilla that dares you to call it bar food.—
Mike Sutter,
San Antonio Express-News,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The race unfolds as the district confronts a superintendent under FBI investigation, declining enrollment, a potential strike and ongoing academic recovery from the pandemic.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Near the end of the penultimate episode, Cashman confronts Blake about Urich, shoves him to the ground in a scuffle and shoots him dead.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The book resists tidy moral conclusions.—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Best of all, the Tony nominee smartly resists overplaying the joke, grounding the part enough that Brad's unraveling becomes funnier.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The notion that Related is a rapacious developer being handed a giveaway ignores the history.—
Peter Peyser,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The authors take aim at TRIPS and TRIPS-Plus agreements by stressing the dangers of a colonialism of information that ignores individual countries’ political and economic circumstances.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Speaking with the Tribune on Monday, Talley’s mother, Tamika Vaughen, said her son has been in and out of treatment facilities and medicated for mental health challenges his entire life.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The book, along with the show and 50 artists, really challenges old notions of what textile is.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Bristy has not been found as of Saturday, but the suspect faces two murder counts.—
Robert McGreevy , Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the investigative outlet Inkyfada faces a court hearing May 11 as authorities pursue the dissolution of Al Khatt, the association that publishes it.—
Ghaya ben Mbarek,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
According to a survey conducted by Emerson College Polling in late March, a majority of Floridians — including a majority of independents — opposes mid-decade redistricting.—
Allyson Meyers,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Take the issue of AI data centers, which Fishback opposes in Florida due to their high cost of operation.—
Thomas C. Shank,
The Orlando Sentinel,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defies. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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