as in turning back
to drive back
the defense managed to beat off those offensive players who were taking shots at the goalie
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 beating off
The dogs had driven the woman into the surf before a tourist came to her rescue, beating off the dingoes.
—
CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beating off
Verb
-
One thing that particularly excited him was turning back the clock for exteriors on New York’s Lower East Side, where the tight shooting schedule often required the art department to transform locations as quickly as possible.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
6 Jan. 2026
-
There’s turning back up until the deed is done.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Trump administration officials say the officer, Jonathan Ross, shot her in self-defense, although videos of the encounter show the Honda Pilot slowly turning away from him.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Trump administration officials say the officer, Jonathan Ross, shot her in self-defense, although videos of the encounter show the Honda Pilot slowly turning away from him.—
Steve Karnowski,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Both types of down do a good job keeping you warm and repelling the elements.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Jan. 2026
-
Ways To Prevent Mice Scents are good at repelling mice in the yard and around the house.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
28 Dec. 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
Verb
-
The driver of the car, identified as 36-year-old Amber O'Neal, was taken to the hospital and then booked into the Jefferson County Jail on unrelated, outstanding warrants for third-degree assault, vehicular eluding, and resisting arrest.—
Austen Erblat,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
More effective diplomacy, as demonstrated by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron at the same forum, conveys the same message about resisting bullying through measured language that preserves dignity and institutional respect.—
George Skelton,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Harvard gutted out the disadvantages, though, staving off wave after wave of Boston University pressure to eventually force overtime.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
21 Jan. 2026
-
The original language of the Clean Water Act – which is widely credited with staving off and, in some cases, reversing water pollution for more than a half-century – explicitly mentions environmental and human health, yet says nothing about economic prosperity.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
18 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beating off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beating%20off. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
