beat off

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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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of beat off On this play, Tegra Tshabola got beat off the ball, forcing Donaldson to take a different hole before running into a defender who center Carson Hinzman was on until the hole shifted. Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025 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 In 2024, it was given to Netflix France series Class Act, which beat off competition from huge hits like The Bear, Beef and Succession. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 5 Aug. 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
  • The windshield repels the huddled form and the thump on the pavement sounds like a rebuke.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
  • It’s made from solid red wood cedar that’s water-resistant, won’t decay, and repels insects.
    Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Patriot resists easy characterization chiefly because of Conrad’s writing, which gives his characters strange rhythms and, sometimes, even stranger verbiage.
    Claire McNear, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Will you be allowed to bring in your own people, or will the Monforts — owner Dick Monfort and his son Walker, the executive vice president — resist your efforts?
    Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • But recent election results suggest trouble for the Republicans, with voters who fueled their gains in 2024 turning away from the party.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Their counterparts who had been turned away from Mercer County, too, formed communities elsewhere in Ohio.
    Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • There’s turning back up until the deed is done.
    Kate Aurthur, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
  • When Genevieve’s physics experiment at the 1934 Chicago World’s Fair goes explosively wrong, Ash jumps in to save the day, turning back time by a few minutes to prevent disaster.
    Caroline Carlson, Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • While there are dismemberments and other bits of gruesome violence to be found in the film, Badlands is largely aimed at endearing its audience rather than repulsing them.
    Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2025
  • Of course, one major qualifier for this is the fact there are plenty of reasons for even moderate Democrats to be repulsed at the idea of electing Cuomo.
    The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • However, something is being done to help stave off further damage.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 2 Nov. 2025
  • During Game 3 of the American League Division Series, Judge hit a game-tying, three-run rocket to stave off his team’s elimination by the Blue Jays.
    Steve Rushin, The Atlantic, 2 Nov. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Beat off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat%20off. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

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