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
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
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
CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
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
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Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed an ultra-stretchable material that repels nearly any liquid and holds up under extreme deformation.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Feb. 2026
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This creates a thin barrier that repels buildup.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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He was arrested and booked into Imperial County Jail on suspicion of murder and resisting a peace officer.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
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Yoon was first detained in January 2025 after resisting attempts to arrest him in a weeks-long standoff with authorities at his home in Seoul.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When that happens, families turn to public hospitals, where no one is turned away.—
Shane Strum,
Sun Sentinel,
17 Feb. 2026
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The simple design suited the low-key style icon and reflected the restraint which characterized fashion of the era—a turn away from the maximalism of the 1980s.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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William Johnston, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Dayton, previously told USA TODAY that abstaining from eating meat is also a form of penance – admitting to any wrongdoings and sins while turning back to belief in God.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
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But the group was turned back by Syrian authorities to the Roj detention camp, due to unspecified procedural problems.—
Rod McGuirk,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Charlie, though, is trying to keep them out of a country that thoroughly repulses him.—
Alexander Nazaryan,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
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And Republicans are among those repulsed by the ongoing scandals.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The ham sandwich rumor reportedly began as her manager Allan Carr’s attempt to stave off speculation that her death was linked to drug use.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
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Physical activity safeguards your heart, helps stave off metabolic disease, and improves your strength and stamina.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beat off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat%20off. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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