defeat 1 of 2

defeat

2 of 2

noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb defeat differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of defeat are conquer, overcome, overthrow, reduce, subdue, and vanquish. While all these words mean "to get the better of by force or strategy," defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals.

the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

When is conquer a more appropriate choice than defeat?

In some situations, the words conquer and defeat are roughly equivalent. However, conquer implies gaining mastery of.

Caesar conquered Gaul

When could overcome be used to replace defeat?

While in some cases nearly identical to defeat, overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.

overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

When might overthrow be a better fit than defeat?

While the synonyms overthrow and defeat are close in meaning, overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.

violently overthrew the old regime

When can reduce be used instead of defeat?

The meanings of reduce and defeat largely overlap; however, reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.

the city was reduced after a month-long siege

Where would subdue be a reasonable alternative to defeat?

The words subdue and defeat are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, subdue implies a defeating and suppression.

subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

When would vanquish be a good substitute for defeat?

The synonyms vanquish and defeat are sometimes interchangeable, but vanquish implies a complete overpowering.

vanquished the enemy and ended the war

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 defeat
Verb
The Nun ends on a flashback to a scene from The Conjuring, revealing that Ed and Lorraine performed an exorcism on Maurice, the man who helped Irene defeat Valak but ended up getting secretly possessed in the process. Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025 Backed by significant grassroots support from Tennessee Stands followers, Humble gave Johnson a run for his money in 2022 but was defeated by just under 800 votes. Vivian Jones, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
The 27-21 loss to the Chargers in Brazil was just the third Week 1 defeat since Andy Reid took over as head coach in 2013. Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2025 Investors now worry that Milei’s defeat is a bad omen for the crucial legislative elections in October, a contest that could potentially derail his free-market economic reforms. Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for defeat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defeat
Verb
  • How Wi-Fi HaLow Can Help Address These Needs To overcome connectivity gaps in large-scale environmental monitoring, some researchers and technologists are turning to Wi-Fi HaLow.
    Michael De Nil, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The movie adaptation is also rife with metaphors about boys becoming men and overcoming life-or-death circumstances to make it out the other side.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The 49ers’ defensive coordinator, Nate Faanes, found the right lineup combinations in Saturday night’s loss, even without starting defensive linemen Jaylon Johnson and DJ Burgess, the latter being out for the season with an upper-body injury.
    Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Florida Democrats, weakened by years of losses and fractured messaging, continue to face a shrinking electorate.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Crypto bubbles lead to crypto collapses.
    Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Despite those gains, the group still recorded a net loss of $517 million, largely due to the collapse of the Capri acquisition and a write-down at Kate Spade.
    Kate Hardcastle, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Operating at the Frontier If yesterday’s winners mastered the deal model, tomorrow’s winners will master integration, culture, and execution.
    Gustaf Lundberg Toresson, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Within the first two hours online, high-level fighting players had already seemingly mastered the game’s beginner-friendly systems and begun using the easily executable combos to dominate the scene, air juggling hapless newbies into oblivion.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Admission is free and activities include inflatables, carnival games, coloring and beating.
    Maia Pandey, jsonline.com, 5 Sep. 2025
  • When beating, whip with vigor using a fork instead of a whisk.
    Megan Zhang, Saveur, 4 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Wilson argued the Charlotte attack resulted from several failures, from lax ticket enforcement to reliance on private security, rather than policies from Cooper’s tenure.
    Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Now, as a photojournalist working with the Kansas City Defender and as the creator of the upcoming podcast Fountain City Files, Harrison focuses on stories involving missing Black women, systemic failures in law enforcement and community neglect.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The senior completed 19 of 26 passes for 142 yards and three TDs as Granada beat Monte Vista 19-7.
    Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Analysts are often effusive in their praise of companies on their earnings calls after results beat expectations or a forecast is particularly impressive.
    Ari Levy, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • For the next three years, early intervention programs — including reading, music and speech therapy — helped monitor Ness' children, looking for possible cognitive or learning setbacks.
    Jeff Truesdell, People.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • For Ruben Amorim, the setback left a lasting impression, with Altay Bayindir selected in the first three Premier League games.
    James McNicholas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Defeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defeat. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on defeat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!