fly in the face of
Boldly oppose convention
To fly in the face of something is to openly defy or contradict it: Her decision flies in the face of conventional wisdom.
The phrase suggests bold opposition to established authority, evidence, or expectations—not quiet disagreement but conspicuous defiance.
The ruling flies in the face of precedent.
- violateBreak a rule deliberately
- go againstAct in opposition
- defyResist or challenge openly
- contradictDispute a statement
- floutOpenly defy authority
contravene · negate · orthodoxy · conventional wisdom · oppose · infringe · convention · tradition · defiance · counter · controvert · custom · audacity · buck · temerity · break · dissent · dispute
fly in the face ofbow to
Yield in respect
abide by · go along with · follow · obey · respect
fly in the face ofagree with
Share someone's position
corroborate · support · confirm · bear out · uphold
face, flies, flying, flyer, flier, faces, faced, facing, facial