1
as in disobeyed
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in confronted
to oppose (something hostile or dangerous) with firmness or courage
a rescue team willing to defy the raging storm
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4
as in resisted
to refuse to give in to
a bicyclist who regularly defies illness and infirmity in order to compete in races
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of defied
Protesters in Iran defied authorities Tuesday, hitting the streets in the capital, Tehran, and smaller cities to chant anti-government slogans amid an ongoing violent crackdown that one human rights group says has left at least 36 dead.
—
Henry Austin, NBC news, 7 Jan. 2026
Seattle defied expectations all season to reach this point.
—Scott Phillips, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Jillian Bell is terrific in the title role of a New Yorker who, as the movie begins, can barely make it to the next corner—and, by the end, has defied everyone’s expectations, her own most of all.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2026
Days later, a report on gross domestic product defied concerns stoked by the hiring slowdown.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 2 Jan. 2026
The year opened with a surprise breakthrough when Chinese AI startup DeepSeek defied US chip curbs to release a powerful, low-cost model that stunned Silicon Valley and rattled Wall Street.
—Bloomberg, Fortune, 31 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, Fox News defied the post-election downward trend seen by MS Now (formerly MSNBC) and CNN.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 29 Dec. 2025
Trump has issued executive orders, defied Congress and the courts, waged a war in the Caribbean that no one wants nor knows much about.
—Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner, 27 Dec. 2025
The Smashing Machine defied both expectations.
—Scott Feinberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defied
Verb
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Hours after the shooting, Noem defended the ICE officer who shot Good, saying the woman had blocked federal officers with her SUV and disobeyed orders to get out of her vehicle.—
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One aviation expert argued that IndiGo not only disobeyed the regulations, but also increased its domestic flights without increasing crew and pilots.—
Verb
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Instead, officials engaged in a vicious crusade to repress whoever dared challenge the outcome.—
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As much as his ability to land the inconceivable, Malinin’s great strength has always been the imagination and courage to take his skating to places few even considered, let alone dared to reach for.—
Verb
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Bethell has already faced more balls in this single innings than Ben Duckett has confronted through the entire series, and eclipsed the total runs scored by Ollie Pope, the man preferred ahead of him until Melbourne, across three matches in this knock alone.—
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The employee confronted the two suspects, and a struggle ensued, leading to the shooting, Olson said.—
Verb
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Other districts have considered offering virtual options This fall, Chicago school board members called for a remote option during a federal intervention there, but Chicago Public Schools has resisted offering it.—
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Tompkins, who for years resisted calls to step down, faced no shortage of accusations during his time in public office.—
Verb
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Even humble fiber, often ignored in favor of flashy nutrients, plays a massive role.—
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The Legislature should also consider the fact that Florida’s public integrity laws are all too frequently ignored.—
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The Avs challenged for offsides, and the goal was taken off the board.—
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The 90-minute delay challenged everyone in the arena to find ways to kill time.—
Verb
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However, even after the peace proposal, Israeli sports teams have faced opposition and exclusion.—
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The agency has also faced criticism for aggressive tactics used by ICE agents in executing the president’s immigration policy.—
Verb
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Her plan for the prison was opposed by Stubblefield and all five Republican candidates now vying to fill the seat.—
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Deployment comes as Walz drops reelection bid The mobilization of more agents to Minneapolis comes as Walz, a Democrat who has been staunchly opposed to Trump’s deployment of troops to US cities, dropped out of the race for reelection on Monday.—
Cite this Entry
“Defied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defied. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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