fight off
phrasal verb
fought off; fighting off; fights off
: to defend oneself against (someone or something) by fighting or struggling : to avoid being harmed or overcome by (someone or something) by fighting or struggling
They fought off the attack/attackers.
I'm trying to fight off a cold.
Examples of fight off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cocaine, with a capital C — a retail beverage that contains nearly twice the amount of caffeine as a Rock Star energy drink and has managed to fight off multiple federal agencies who’ve sought to strip the brand of its provocative name.
—
Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2025
Inflammation occurs when your immune system releases chemicals to fight off harmful substances.
—Ashley Wong, Health, 16 Sep. 2025
This part of the story is a story in itself, but the wars and the result left two-thirds of the recruits dead and rendered Rusty’s appendages useless as he selflessly piloted night and day to fight off every rogue machine.
—Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
The victim’s wife and son tried many times to fight off Cobos-Martinez, who was allegedly going through Nagamallaiah’s pockets during the attack, according to the affidavit.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fight off
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kansas City Star, 16 Sep. 2025
Inflammation occurs when your immune system releases chemicals to fight off harmful substances.
—Ashley Wong, Health, 16 Sep. 2025
This part of the story is a story in itself, but the wars and the result left two-thirds of the recruits dead and rendered Rusty’s appendages useless as he selflessly piloted night and day to fight off every rogue machine.
—Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
The victim’s wife and son tried many times to fight off Cobos-Martinez, who was allegedly going through Nagamallaiah’s pockets during the attack, according to the affidavit.
—Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fight off
Cite this Entry
“Fight off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fight%20off. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share