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
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Recent Examples of defeat
Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
His victory at the Procopio Cup earned him a spot in qualifying for the Rio Open – the ATP Tour’s biggest tournament in South America – but he was defeated in the first round by eventual quarterfinalist Tseng Chun-hsin.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 4 Mar. 2025
Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 3 Mar. 2025
Prior to her Oscars defeat, Moore’ eldest daughter Rumer, 36, posted a tribute to her mom, gushing over her pride in the veteran actress’ career.
—Rachel McRady, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defeat
Verb
New Zealand opened the group stage with a win over Pakistan, defeating the team by 60 runs.
—Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
His victory at the Procopio Cup earned him a spot in qualifying for the Rio Open – the ATP Tour’s biggest tournament in South America – but he was defeated in the first round by eventual quarterfinalist Tseng Chun-hsin.
—George Ramsay, CNN, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
Although not a victory, Diane Warren made headlines after extending her Oscars losing streak following her 16th consecutive defeat in the Best Original Song category.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 3 Mar. 2025
Prior to her Oscars defeat, Moore’ eldest daughter Rumer, 36, posted a tribute to her mom, gushing over her pride in the veteran actress’ career.
—Rachel McRady, People.com, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defeat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defeat
Verb
-
Every once in a while, a pitfall of community theater is glimpsed, but only momentarily, and here the heartfelt sense of fun overcomes any little shortcoming.—
Matthew J. Palm,
Orlando Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2025
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This Netflix documentary follows three young Brooklyn sisters who join a community track team and, through their dedication to running (and with the support of their team), strive to overcome homelessness, family trauma, and financial struggles.—
Lisa Wong Macabasco,
Vogue,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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If the club compounds the loss of Miller’s offensive value by also losing Boeser, whether that happens this week or this summer, then the need for Canucks management to pull a rabbit out of a hat in grafting high-end attacking juice into the lineup will become even more urgent.—
Thomas Drance,
The Athletic,
5 Mar. 2025
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The Dallas Mavericks star suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during Monday’s 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings, ESPN reported Tuesday.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Trump’s weaponization of longstanding U.S. intel sharing, vis-à-vis Ukraine, could accelerate Five Eyes’ collapse.—
David Axe,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
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From fully locked in and comfortably ahead to being on the verge of collapse.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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There are more and more women mastering engineers but there’s still not that many.—
Charles Moss,
SPIN,
26 Feb. 2025
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Technology can sometimes feel overwhelming, but mastering a few simple tricks can make life much easier.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
Fox News,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Just before the beating begins, the camera leaves the boy’s perspective and moves behind him; viewers see the back of his head and shoulders.—
Ellen Wexler,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 Feb. 2025
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Former President Biden took a public beating from Trump and his supporters after it was revealed Biden's son and brother profited off his name and actions.—
Axios,
Axios,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Obituaries Norma Rae Long, an educator who taught sports and directed lifelong learning programs, died of multiple organ failure Feb. 15 at Gilchrist Center Towson.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Mar. 2025
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When compared to other ethnicities and races, Blacks are disproportionately affected by the health burdens and diseases that lead to organ failure and result in the need for an organ transplant, especially kidney transplants.—
Andrew Jones,
Hartford Courant,
2 Mar. 2025
Verb
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For variety, for style, for fun, Bombay Street Kitchen is still the venue to beat.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2025
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While those comps are impressive, 2023 numbers were not very tough to beat.—
David Moin,
WWD,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The setback has led to a period of reflection and redefinition as many members feel disconnected and betrayed.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
Newsweek,
26 Feb. 2025
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Despite the setback, McRae took the situation in stride.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
26 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defeat. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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