defy

“The real answer is whether or not a bass will actually strike it…bass often react in ways that defy our imagination.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

He knows that she knows exactly what it has taken to defy the odds and become an NFL trailblazer.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

Since Kiki’s abilities allow her to defy gravity, she runs packages across town, avoiding auto traffic and pedestrian crowds.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

County, the Sheriff’s Department has continued to defy the subpoena, relying on the advice of county attorneys, Johnson said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

And lo! even as he laughed at despair he looked out again on the black ships, and he lifted up his sword to defy them.

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien

“The stellar performance defies concerns that competition with Anthropic and OpenAI is intensifying for enterprise AI workflows,” DiPalma said of Palantir’s earnings beat.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026

So singular that it all but defies any kind of tea-leaf-reading or, heaven forbid, attempts at replication.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

Because it was his favorite kind of question: one that is simple to state yet defies a simple answer.

From Slate ● Jun. 22, 2026

There is always at least one team that defies the odds and emerges as the surprise package of a World Cup.

From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026

“No! For the deed of killing defies justice, both human and divine,” I argued with a fervor that matched his own.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

Two Iranian female footballers who publicly defied their government have become Australian citizens.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

When the homicide rate was rising, it defied criminologists’ expectations, breaking away from the property crime decline of the 2010s.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

When we are asleep, our brain consolidates the memories of the day, processes emotions, and solves problems that defied it in the waking hours.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

China’s exports defied forecasts of a slowdown, providing a vital boost to an economy still weighed down by weak domestic demand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

But she always ended up in the big tent, her eyes trained on Jacques-Paul as he defied the odds, grabbing through thin air at nothing, finding temporary safety in the bar at the last minute.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

Beck proved almost as good at defying expectations as he was at musical innovation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

O’Hearn accused the government of defying her orders when, instead of releasing the man, Immigration and Customs Enforcement transferred him to a different facility in New York.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

Big companies are starting to hire again, defying predictions of an AI wipeout.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

A relentlessly driven, shrewd deal-maker and entrepreneur, Allen is used to defying skeptics and seeing opportunity in assets overlooked by others.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

“For defying their master, attempting to attend an illegal festival—” “They’re just girls, Hel.”

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir