as in to repel
to drive back
the defense managed to beat off those offensive players who were taking shots at the goalie
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Recent Examples of beat off
Happiness beat off competition from second place The Flaws, an absurdist comedy for ZDF that won the official competition at the same fest.
—
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 June 2026
Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose gets a lot of notice for its athletics programs, but the Monarchs are proving to be the team to beat off the sports fields, too.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
He regularly gets beat off the bounce by quicker players.
—Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
The dogs had driven the woman into the surf before a tourist came to her rescue, beating off the dingoes.
—CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
Chip Somodevilla/Pool Photo via AP What To Know Obama beat off stiff competition from the likes of David Attenborough and Tom Hanks to win the Outstanding Narrator prize for his narration of the five-part Netflix series Our Oceans, which examines marine life across the world's oceans.
—Daniel Orton, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Breathing problems which sent my heart beat off the charts.
—David Velasco, Harpers Magazine, 18 Dec. 2023
Max Goldbart, Deadline, 12 June 2026
Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose gets a lot of notice for its athletics programs, but the Monarchs are proving to be the team to beat off the sports fields, too.
—Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
He regularly gets beat off the bounce by quicker players.
—Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
The dogs had driven the woman into the surf before a tourist came to her rescue, beating off the dingoes.
—CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
Chip Somodevilla/Pool Photo via AP What To Know Obama beat off stiff competition from the likes of David Attenborough and Tom Hanks to win the Outstanding Narrator prize for his narration of the five-part Netflix series Our Oceans, which examines marine life across the world's oceans.
—Daniel Orton, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Breathing problems which sent my heart beat off the charts.
—David Velasco, Harpers Magazine, 18 Dec. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beat off
Verb
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The wax and sealant not only restores your chrome wheels’ glossy shine but also protects them by actively repelling brake dust, road salt and other debris.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
16 June 2026
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That kind of energy, unfortunately, can repel someone.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Knicks owner Jim Dolan took center stage and couldn't resist taking a shot at the mayor during the team's most joyous moment.—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
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Some of Díaz-Canel’s statements were remarkable simply for confirming that Cuban leaders knew their economic policies did not work and yet had resisted reforms.—
Nora Gámez Torres,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Verb
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The 20-second clip concluded with Lacob turning away from Dunleavy and throwing up his arms in apparent exasperation.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
24 June 2026
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In the fifth minute of extra time Messi got deep into the box and his first shot was initially turned away by an Austrian defender.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 June 2026
Verb
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With the team missing significant pieces, Goldschmidt has managed to turn back the clock for a lineup that has otherwise gotten greener with each new injury.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2026
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Middle Eastern oil wells were largely shut off during the war and could take weeks to ramp up production when turned back on.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Plenty of people bought it, plenty were repulsed by it.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
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Spearmint and peppermint plants are particularly effective insect repellents, but many other plants in the mint family can also be used to repulse flies, including pennyroyal and lemon balm.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Perhaps the most publicized of these policy failures is that the federal government hasn’t taken steps to stave off Social Security benefits cuts.—
Naomi Cahn,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
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Adding urgency to its efforts is the need to stave off any prospect of Reform UK winning a general election.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beat off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat%20off. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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