Attempt
Defy
Defy verb - To go against the commands, prohibitions, or rules of.
Common collocations
| people | attempt people | defy people |
| control | attempt control | defy control |
| time | attempt time | defy time |
| explanation | attempt explanation | defy explanation |
| Other words: rules. | ||
Both words in one sentence
- Minecraft: Story Mode: Magnus and Ellegaard attempt to defy this, telling Jesse that s/he should go check on the survivors instead of staying with them, but Jesse can choose to ignore this request and kneel beside them until they pass away.
Source: Stay with Me Until I Die - However, this does not always settle the fight, even when Bob's authority is beyond question: Charlie may defy the order and go on arguing, or attempt to take the role by force.
Source: More Hero Than Thou - An attempt to defy this trope gone horribly wrong resulted in Ghost, who was a version of Byakuran from an alternate timeline that was brought over to the main timeline.
Source: Never the Selves Shall Meet
Cite this Source
Defy and Attempt. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 22, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/attempt/defy
Attempt & Defy. N.p., 2016. Web. 22 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/attempt/defy>.
Defy or Attempt. 2016. Accessed July 22, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/attempt/defy.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "attempt" and "defy" have occurred on timeline