"They would have to defy history at this point," Mr. Dowd said.

This company, we must note, is one of the vanishing few that dare to defy history in this way.

But these waters defied history, and everything that generations had passed down about where it was safe to live and farm.

Defying history, logic and the reality of Yankee Stadium, they have become a right-handed team.

It will have to defy history for them to be correct.

If he thinks the public will support a party that tries to raise taxes over one that opposes the idea, he's defying political history.

"The lines defy geography, history, nature and reason for a single goal: getting an ethnically correct Council."

More broadly, the whole idea of giving local managers more flexibility defies history, however reasonable it appears on the surface.

But the chance of two wars occurring at the same time defies history.

If the plan works, the Fed will have defied recent history.