as in turning back
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 beating 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
CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beating off
Verb
-
There is no turning back, no compromise, no side road.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
19 Mar. 2026
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But savvy marketing campaigns and partnerships with major employers have tricked consumers into turning back to payday loans.—
Christopher Greenwood,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Border policy used in past administrations The practice of not letting an asylum-seeker pass through a checkpoint was used periodically during the Obama administration, when border officers began turning away hundreds of Haitian asylum-seekers at ports of entry in California.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
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Hospitals ran out of blood, and started turning away patients.—
Cora Engelbrecht,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And beyond the initial hit to tourism and trade, the cost of repelling the attacks is staggering.—
Hadley Gamble,
semafor.com,
19 Mar. 2026
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This occurs when decomposing organic matter or soil fungi form a waxy, water-resistant coating around soil particles, repelling water rather than absorb it.—
Nadia Hassani,
The Spruce,
15 Mar. 2026
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
Verb
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Fry has been arrested more than two dozen times since 2003, on a range of offenses including assault, burglary, driving with an invalid license, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, according to court records.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Mar. 2026
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Early Wednesday morning, FSU kicker Conor McAneney was arrested on felony charges for battery of a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence, according to jail records.—
Bri Buckley,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Maintaining ties with Tehran is crucial for containing domestic tensions and staving off an insurgency from the minority Baloch community there.—
Kyra Colah,
FOXNews.com,
23 Mar. 2026
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McCarthy stood on his head for much of the final 25 minutes, staving off 17 shots through the third period and first overtime.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beating off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beating%20off. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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