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
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
Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2025
San Diego State’s women’s tennis team (16-6, 9-1) defeated UNLV 4-3 to win the the Aztecs’ first Mountain West title in tennis since 2013.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2025
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2025
The pain of those defeats was nothing compared to the real-life heartbreak the program’s endured since.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defeat
Verb
In the earlier bronze medal game on Sunday, Finland defeated the Czech Republic 4-3 in overtime.
—Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2025
San Diego State’s women’s tennis team (16-6, 9-1) defeated UNLV 4-3 to win the the Aztecs’ first Mountain West title in tennis since 2013.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2025
Noun
The latest defeat was about its online ad business.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2025
The pain of those defeats was nothing compared to the real-life heartbreak the program’s endured since.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 20 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defeat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defeat
Verb
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Not without its controversy, like life, the show has tried to demonstrate that family can overcome anything with love, laughter, and conversation.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
24 Apr. 2025
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Trailing 0-2, the Heat now faces a series deficit that not many NBA teams have overcome.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Under the budget plan, overall NASA funding would drop to about $20 billion, down from $24.9 billion in fiscal year 2024, a loss of about 20%.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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Cunningham’s injuries, also extensive, were detailed in the lawsuit, including significant disfigurement, extensive surgical reconstruction and loss of mobility.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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With the Soviet Union’s collapse, the United States enjoyed a margin of superiority that would have been unimaginable to earlier great powers.—
A. Wess Mitchell,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
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Congress should promote emergency and retirement savings, empowering families to protect themselves from fiscal collapse.—
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr.,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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There were experiments with clay, pigment and glazing that were unsuccessful but persistence, dedication and desire to master the craft eventually reaped rewards.—
Blue Carreon,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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Comments Penn Badgley is revealing the unusual acting technique that he’s mastered after five seasons of You.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Prosecutors told jurors that the beatings that ultimately killed little Ayden began the day before his death.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2025
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Edgar put a beating on Rodriguez that night at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, closing Rodriguez’s left eye by the end of the second round.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But in reality, every success is built on a failure.—
Omaid Homayun,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
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These setbacks highlight the inherent risks of space operations, where even minor failures can cost hundreds of millions and set timelines back by months or years.—
Jackie Snow,
Quartz,
19 Apr. 2025
Verb
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At the end of the day, Mufasa beat Sonic 3 at both the stateside ($254M) and global B.O. ($722M).—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
24 Apr. 2025
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The managers were followed by the drum major—not an ordinary drum major beating time for a band, mind you, but a performer out of the books, an artist with the baton.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Caliente – real name Bianca Castro -had in recent days suffered a serious health setback which included the loss of her right leg.—
Caroline Frost,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2025
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The Two-Way Justice Department Issues Scathing Report On Baltimore Police Department There have been setbacks in Sandtown, too.—
Sarah Handel,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defeat. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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