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
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There’s also a bunch of strange cosmic beings to fight off too. Joshua Lamb, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 The other cradles a phone, and Brandi Birrittier fights off the flashbacks. Charlotte Observer, 2 Sep. 2025 The wife of King Charles III fought off a groper as a teenager by taking off her shoe and bashing the assailant in the groin. Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2025 The shortstop fought off tough pitch after tough pitch, nine foul balls in total, before forcing a walk. Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 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 10 Sep. 2025.

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