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Glite Dictionary
to fly in the teeth of

to fly in the teeth of

8.6
To openly go against usual rules or advice
  • idiom
  • Archaic
translation icon : desafiar abiertamente
  • The new policy will fly in the teeth of established norms.

Examples

  • He always seems to fly in the teeth of conventional wisdom, regardless of the consequences.

  • By questioning the tradition, they were flying in the teeth of centuries of established beliefs.

  • Her decision to speak out flew in the teeth of the company's official policy.

  • He decided to fly in the teeth of convention.

  • The decision to invest in renewable energy flies in the teeth of traditional fossil fuel practices.

  • Her choice to pursue art instead of a law career flies in the teeth of her family's expectations.

  • By protesting against the new regulations, they are flying in the teeth of established authority.

Synonyms

to defy
vsto fly in the teeth of
178 3.7

Openly refuse to obey someone or seem to resist a force like time

is an idiomatic expression emphasizing public opposition rather than a single verb
to go rogue
vsto fly in the teeth of
19 7.5

To act alone and ignore rules or orders

is deliberate public defiance rather than simply acting on one own
to fly in the face of
vsto fly in the teeth of
17 7.6

Openly oppose something, often against common sense or tradition

has identical meaning but exists as a different idiomatic form
to run afoul
vsto fly in the teeth of
  • US
14 7.9

To get into trouble for breaking rules or laws

implies deliberate open defiance rather than accidental conflict or trouble
to flout
vsto fly in the teeth of
12 7.9

To openly disobey a rule or law to show you do not respect it

is broader, focusing on open opposition rather than contempt alone
to stick it to the man
vsto fly in the teeth of
  • Informal
4 9.8

To openly oppose people in power to cause them trouble

is general opposition, not limited to rebellious acts against authorities
to contravene
vsto fly in the teeth of
  • Formal
2 8.2

To break a law, rule, or agreement

is less formal and covers open disobedience beyond legal breach

Antonyms

to obey
411 1.0

Do what someone in charge tells you or follow a rule

to conform
96 3.2

Think and act like other people or follow rules

How Defiant

to flout
12 7.9
to fly in the teeth of
  • Archaic
8.6
to defy
178 3.7
to contravene
  • Formal
2 8.2
to go against
206 3.3

Surface Forms

fly in the teeth of infinitive
flying in the teeth of present participle
flies in the teeth of third person singular
flew in the teeth of past
flown in the teeth of past participle

Morphology

fly + in + the + tooth + of

The overall meaning 'to openly go against or defy' cannot be derived from the literal senses of 'fly' (move through the air) and 'tooth/teeth' (a body part), because the expression relies on the idiomatic fragment 'in the teeth of' (meaning 'in spite of' or 'facing'). The figurative sense of 'teeth' as force or resistance and the archaic prepositional pattern are not predictable for a B1 learner who merely knows the constituent words, so prior exposure is needed.

Etymology

The idiom fly in the teeth of gives the picture of a bird or person trying to fly directly into the sharp, biting teeth of wind or danger. So it is used to say someone 'openly goes against' or 'defies' rules, advice, or authority.