defeat 1 of 2

verb

di-ˈfēt How to pronounce defeat (audio)
Definition of defeatnext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

defeat

2 of 2

noun

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

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb defeat differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of defeat are conquer, overcome, overthrow, reduce, subdue, and vanquish. While all these words mean "to get the better of by force or strategy," defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals.

the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

When is conquer a more appropriate choice than defeat?

In some situations, the words conquer and defeat are roughly equivalent. However, conquer implies gaining mastery of.

Caesar conquered Gaul

When could overcome be used to replace defeat?

While in some cases nearly identical to defeat, overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.

overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

When might overthrow be a better fit than defeat?

While the synonyms overthrow and defeat are close in meaning, overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.

violently overthrew the old regime

When can reduce be used instead of defeat?

The meanings of reduce and defeat largely overlap; however, reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.

the city was reduced after a month-long siege

Where would subdue be a reasonable alternative to defeat?

The words subdue and defeat are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, subdue implies a defeating and suppression.

subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

When would vanquish be a good substitute for defeat?

The synonyms vanquish and defeat are sometimes interchangeable, but vanquish implies a complete overpowering.

vanquished the enemy and ended the war

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of defeat
Verb
The Kansas City Current have won their last three matches in a row, including most recently defeating the Chicago Stars 3-1 behind goals scored by Beatriz Zaneratto, Joāo, Temwa Chawinga, and Kayla Sharples. —Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025 Coco Gauff, the 21-year-old American tennis star, has defeated Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open women's singles final to claim the second Grand Slam title of her young career. —NPR, 7 June 2025
Noun
Six months after the 2024 presidential election, Democrats nationwide are grappling with their resounding defeat. —Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 6 June 2025 In May, according to one analysis, the Trump administration suffered more than two dozen defeats at the district court level from judges appointed by Democrats and Republicans, including Trump. —Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for defeat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defeat
  1. overcome
  2. loss
  3. collapse
  4. master
  5. beating
  6. failure
  7. beat
  8. setback
Verb
  • But your brain might still seek patterns to overcome.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Yet soon one is overcome by Charles Laughton’s creepy, convincing portrayal of Captain Bligh’s sadomasochism: most of the first fifteen minutes is taken up with floggings and other shipboard disciplining of half-naked men, shown in detail while Laughton looks on with long-lipped lasciviousness.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Definition of overcome
Noun
  • This assumes that all three of these players represent improvement from the interior blockers who were overwhelmed in the regular-season finale against the Detroit Lions and the Wild Card loss to the Rams.
    — Steve Silverman, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
  • Louisville’s Jack Brown (5-5) was tagged with the loss after allowing a go-ahead RBI single in the sixth.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 June 2025
Definition of loss
Noun
  • Critics of renewables will rightly point out that renewables are cheap as long as battery storage is not included in their price, and the sudden collapse of an entire electric grid for 12 hours incurs a staggering economic burden that should be priced into cost calculations.
    — Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
  • The collapse of the Trump-Musk relationship has potential consequences for technology, business and American politics, as both wield considerable influence over politics and the business community.
    — Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • The tournament is serving as a trial run for FIFA to master the quality of its playing surfaces ahead of the men’s World Cup next year.
    — Melanie Anzidei, New York Times, 14 June 2025
  • Master the LinkedIn inbox, master your growth Message your profile viewers first Every day, people check out your profile.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
Definition of master
Noun
  • Sentencing for two other officers involved in the beating, Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., was also set for next week.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 June 2025
  • Ukrainians said they were subjected to beatings, electric shocks and dog attacks by Russian authorities, not only to extract information but to intimidate and humiliate them.
    — Richard Engel, NBC news, 11 June 2025
Definition of beating
Noun
  • When the administration announced the proclamation on Wednesday, Trump argued that Harvard’s failure to disclose information on international student misconduct threatened national security.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 6 June 2025
  • While human error is the leading cause of data loss, other causes include hardware failure, theft, software corruption, viruses, natural disasters and power failure.
    — Chongwei Chen, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Definition of failure
Verb
  • Gordon mentions beating the Bears’ rivals as one of his key team goals for the 2025 season.
    — DJ Siddiqi, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • This, in turn, provoked police to wade into the crowd, beating people with nightsticks.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 10 June 2025
Definition of beat
Noun
  • The ruling is a setback for Khalil, who was detained in March.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 June 2025
  • Serving the community despite setbacks More than 50,000 people are expected at the Wilton Manors Pride block party, filling six city blocks with vendors, food and entertainment from 3 to 11 p.m. on Saturday.
    — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
Definition of setback

Browse Nearby Words

defeasances
defeat
defeated
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Cite this Entry

“Defeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defeat. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

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