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
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
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
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
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
-
Groypers are repelled by the obsequiousness of pro-Trump influencers who are always willing to contort themselves to support the President’s latest actions.—
Antonia Hitchens,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
But Calgary repelled another Ducks power play and wrapped it up with Frost's empty-netter.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The jury award was a spur to understand a life recognizably shaped by social-media algorithms, in ways that were perhaps near-impossible to resist, as a serious injury to an entire generation.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Desmon Moore also physically resisted officers, documents filed with the court allege.—
Nick Sullivan
April 9,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Instead, Neuer plunged down, jutted out a wrist of steel, and Mbappe turned away, eyes wide in disbelief.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Meanwhile, the three partner schools had to turn away students and establish wait lists.—
Carole Carlson,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The only way forward is to scour the space for signs of anything out of the ordinary, from changes in the ads on the wall to a sudden flood that threatens to wash you away, and to turn back if there’s an anomaly.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Trains are turning back at Pearl/Arts District, Deep Ellum, Victory and EBJ Union stations.—
CBS Texas Staff,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the mid-19th century, Kasanje was able to repulse a Portuguese military expedition.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Sigmund Freud believed that every crush has a strand of disgust, that people are attracted to what repulses them.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Huskies took control from the start, gave the Illini a brief lead in the first half and took several body blows in the final minutes to stave off a collapse.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Drugs that manage or stave off illnesses like diabetes and blood clots will be taken less if at all.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beat off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat%20off. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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