defy
verb
, dē-\
Definition of defy
(Entry 1 of 2)
defy
noun
, ˈdē-ˌfī
\
Definition of defy (Entry 2 of 2)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for defy
Synonyms: Verb
disobey, mock, rebel (against)
Antonyms: Verb
comply (with), conform (to), follow, mind, obey
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Examples of defy in a Sentence
Verb
She defied her parents and dropped out of school. The group has continued to defy all efforts to stop them.Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Today's Headlines Why Hurricane Dorian defied forecasts and sank the Bahamas Hurricane Dorian has greatly surpassed predictions of its strength, and its unpredictability has left the residents in its path terrified. — Wired, "Hurricane Dorian Science, a Vaping Mouse Experiment, and More News," 4 Sep. 2019 Nicholas Soames, a member of Parliament since 1997 and Churchill's grandson on his mother's side, was one of 21 Conservative MPs to have the whip removed after defying the government on a vital vote against a no-deal Brexit. — Rob Picheta, CNN, "Winston Churchill's grandson expelled from Conservative Party by Boris Johnson in wake of Brexit crisis," 4 Sep. 2019 Suddenly, there are brides and grooms galore, nearly all of them from China, Hong Kong or Taiwan — posing and twisting themselves together in embraces that at times almost defy imagination. — Los Angeles Times, "Czech Republic sees a surge in visitors from China, including many prenuptial couples," 3 Sep. 2019 Her recent short film RedefinePretty helps prove how damaging beauty standards can be by examining the brain’s emotional reactions to images of faces that enforce or defy such ideals. — Hana Hong, Marie Claire, "25 People Changing the Beauty Industry," 3 Sep. 2019 That Hapgood chose to return even once to Anguilla after his experience there — let alone multiple times for various legal proceedings — defies logic. — Armstrong Williams, National Review, "The Tragedy of Scott Hapgood," 3 Sep. 2019 But as Dorian has defied forecasts, officials moved the notice to Monday morning. — Kevin Spear, orlandosentinel.com, "Hurricane Dorian wrecks Labor Day break at Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral," 1 Sep. 2019 Flustered in College Grove Dear Flustered, Congratulations on defying the odds for a win! — Steven P. Dinkin, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Constructive confrontation might be the winning ticket," 1 Sep. 2019 That would continue a steep upward trend in deaths since the opioid epidemic took hold here in 2015, wipe out a small decrease in 2018 and defy a rise in the distribution of the overdose antidote Narcan in Connecticut this year. — Josh Kovner, courant.com, "Connecticut medical examiner predicts 1,088 overdose deaths by year’s end, an increase from 2018," 30 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'defy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for defy
defy
verb
English Language Learners Definition of defy
See the full definition for defy in the English Language Learners Dictionary
defy
verb
\
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