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
While the wife hid in a bathroom and called police, her husband managed to fight off the attacker.
—
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 27 July 2025
Syria is trying to rebuild, regain control from armed groups, stop sectarian violence, and fight off ISIS.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
Both are sources of antioxidants that fight off free radicals and other potentially harmful compounds.
—Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 17 July 2025
Colleen Thomas’ 12-year-old son, Simon, was born with asthma and an immune system that produces too few antibodies to fight off infections.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fight off
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.
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 27 July 2025
Syria is trying to rebuild, regain control from armed groups, stop sectarian violence, and fight off ISIS.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025
Both are sources of antioxidants that fight off free radicals and other potentially harmful compounds.
—Brittany Lubeck, Verywell Health, 17 July 2025
Colleen Thomas’ 12-year-old son, Simon, was born with asthma and an immune system that produces too few antibodies to fight off infections.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 2 July 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 19 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share