back down vs defy

back down

verb
  • To withdraw from a commitment or position. 

  • To take a less aggressive position in a conflict than one previously has or has planned to. 

defy

verb
  • To refuse to obey. 

  • To challenge (someone) or brave (a hazard or opposition). 

  • To not conform to or follow a pattern, set of rules or expectations. 

How often have the words back down and defy occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )