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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Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday turned away Judge Pauline Newman's bid to return to service on a federal appeals court after she was suspended from hearing cases due to concerns about her fitness to serve.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
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Raul Jiminez came close to a goal for the second time, this time on a cross into the box, but he was once again turned away by a diving Ronwen Williams, who pushed the ball aside.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 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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Some factors — that crime has hit historic lows as Tisch has headed the department and Mamdani’s relative lack of action in the police department — have staved off criticism from moderates.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
15 June 2026
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The White Sox pitching staff — which essentially employed a bullpen day — was able to stave off the Dodgers’ bats the rest of the way.—
Andy Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beat off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat%20off. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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