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
Zuley spent more than three hours testifying at the Leighton Criminal Court Building after he was called to the stand by Cook County prosecutors fighting off a petition that asks a judge to vacate a murder conviction.
—
Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
The 23-year-old Shelton buckled down and fought off all three match points to stay alive.
—José Sánchez Córdova, Dallas Morning News, 15 Feb. 2026
Those allies claimed Starmer would fight off the attempt.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 10 Feb. 2026
These findings reinforce growing evidence that high amounts of excess fat might impair the body’s ability to fight off infection.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fight off
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Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
The 23-year-old Shelton buckled down and fought off all three match points to stay alive.
—José Sánchez Córdova, Dallas Morning News, 15 Feb. 2026
Those allies claimed Starmer would fight off the attempt.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 10 Feb. 2026
These findings reinforce growing evidence that high amounts of excess fat might impair the body’s ability to fight off infection.
—Lauren J. Young, Scientific American, 9 Feb. 2026
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 23 Feb. 2026.
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