resist or confront with resistance; "The politician defied public opinion"; "The new material withstands even the greatest wear and tear"; "The bridge held"
elude, especially in a baffling way; "This behavior defies explanation"
appeal or request earnestly; "I pleaded with him to stop"
enter a plea, as in courts of law; "She pleaded not guilty"
offer as an excuse or plea; "She was pleading insanity"
make an allegation in an action or other legal proceeding, especially answer the previous pleading of the other party by denying facts therein stated or by alleging new facts
offensively curious or inquisitive; "curious about the neighbor's doings"; "he flipped through my letters in his nosy way"; "prying eyes"; "the snoopy neighbor watched us all day"
think of, regard, or classify under a subsuming principle or with a general group or in relation to another; "This plant can be referred to a known species"
send or direct for treatment, information, or a decision; "refer a patient to a specialist"; "refer a bill to a committee"
have to do with or be relevant to; "There were lots of questions referring to her talk"; "My remark pertained to your earlier comments"