defy vs withstand

defy and withstand both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
defy	No	No	Yes	No
withstand	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, defy and withstand are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of defy include hold, hold up.

As verbs, withstand is a hypernym of defy; that is, withstand is a word with a broader meaning than defy:

Other hypernyms of defy include hold out, resist, stand firm.

defy (verb)	withstand (verb)
challenge	stand up or offer resistance to somebody or something
resist or confront with resistance	resist or confront with resistance
elude, especially in a baffling way