as in to overcome
to achieve a victory over
they defeated their archrivals easily and moved into the next round of the play-offs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in loss
failure to win a contest
sore losers still griping about their defeat in the basketball game earlier that week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in collapse
a falling short of one's goals
truly disheartened by the defeat of his plans to revitalize downtown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of defeat
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
3 July 2026
Egypt makes history by defeating Australia, 1-1 (4-2) Egypt is through to the Round of 16 after defeating Australia in a dramatic penalty shootout on Friday, marking a historic first World Cup knockout-round win for the Pharaohs.
—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
3 July 2026
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Unfortunately, however, the scoreline wasn’t big enough to overturn a 4-0 defeat in the Metropolitano in the fixture’s first installment.
—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for defeat
Verb
Fujimori made it to the runoff after defeating 33 other candidates in April.
—
Louis Casiano,
FOXNews.com,
3 July 2026
Egypt makes history by defeating Australia, 1-1 (4-2) Egypt is through to the Round of 16 after defeating Australia in a dramatic penalty shootout on Friday, marking a historic first World Cup knockout-round win for the Pharaohs.
—
Jacob Lev,
CNN Money,
3 July 2026
Noun
Many who did stay up or set alarms were fans of the Mexican national team, and were conflicted or even gutted by the 2-0 defeat.
—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
2 July 2026
Unfortunately, however, the scoreline wasn’t big enough to overturn a 4-0 defeat in the Metropolitano in the fixture’s first installment.
—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for defeat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defeat
Verb
-
The rookie point guard overcame early shooting struggles to lead all scorers with 25 points.
-
The telecommunications giant’s fight to end landline service is playing out in the FCC and federal court, amid an underlying battle over how much power the agency has to overcome decisions by states.
Noun
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The congregation started to arrive at the usual time, about half an hour before Mass on a recent Saturday afternoon, the old church slowly filling with the descendants and caretakers of a place of great serenity but also great loss.
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Fireflies are facing growing challenges from habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change and light pollution.
Noun
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Vibrations from earth-moving equipment could have triggered further collapses, possibly dooming Gil — and his would-be rescuers.
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Historians have devoted enormous attention to the collapse of the royal courts, the creation of state judiciaries, the drafting of new constitutions, and the construction of the legal institutions of the new republic.
Verb
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With life spent largely on transit, navigating tight layovers, and using their days off to jet-set across the globe, flight attendants have mastered the art of packing.
-
Netanyahu, 76, has spent decades mastering political theater, sharp messaging and grand performances.
Noun
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But if the stock market rally that powers the divide fizzles out, the economy could take a significant beating.
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Prosecutors allege that six of Arnold’s associates actually carried out the crimes, holding, beating and pistol-whipping the victims, and that Arnold wasn’t there at the time.
Noun
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According to Castillo, one of the most significant failures has been the tendency to treat many squatter complaints as civil disputes rather than criminal investigations.
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Spence also appears to be absorbing the blame for broader failures, with Thomas Tuchel’s touchline frustrations obvious and — for a player still establishing himself at this level — that scrutiny is unlikely to help.
Verb
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Emanuel Sharp, Isaiah Stevens and Marquel Sutton led the way as the Kings rallied to beat the Golden State Warriors Blue 91-85 on Sunday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
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Egypt made its way to the round of 16 by beating Australia on penalties.
Noun
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The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday delivered a major setback to ballot measures aimed at handing Democrats as many of seven of Colorado's eight Congressional seats.
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The rulings marked another setback for Democrats in a nationwide redistricting battle that could affect control of Congress.
Cite this Entry
“Defeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defeat. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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