DEFEATING Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

defeating

verb

present participle of defeat

as in overcoming

to achieve a victory over they defeated their archrivals easily and moved into the next round of the play-offs

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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 defeating Fernandes points out the prevalence of tactical voting — when voters abandon their preferred candidate for one with a better chance of winning or defeating a rival — as an explanation for the first-round surprise in early October. — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026 Eisenkot argued that Israel needed to concentrate its military resources on defeating Hamas in the south before embarking on another major conflict. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026 Soon after defeating Jones in a runoff, Jackson shelved the immigration ad, but not before using it as part of a spot featuring his grandchildren. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 With Adebayo unable to play for most of the game, the Hornets and Ball ended up defeating the Heat 127-126 in overtime to end Miami’s season. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026 Republican Bo French, who previously chaired the Tarrant County GOP, faces Democrat Jon Rosenthal after defeating incumbent Jim Wright in a May Republican primary runoff for the state agency that regulates Texas’ oil and gas industry. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026 There’s nothing more important than defeating his pathetic opponent, Mike Collins. — NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026 Nirenberg served as mayor from 2017 to 2025 before defeating incumbent County Judge Peter Sakai in the March Democratic primary. — Katie Bartlett, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026 Democratic incumbent Carla Wyatt Wyatt has worked at Harris County in various roles over two decades and took office at the start of 2023 after defeating a fellow Democrat in the primary election. — Isaac Yu, Houston Chronicle, 16 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for defeating

Verb

His early story is known as one of overcoming difficult circumstances and finding a creative outlet in music.

— Kaitlyn Gomez, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
The song addresses overcoming adversity and using others’ doubts to fuel your passion.

— Melinda Newman, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of overcoming

Verb

Making a cup of coffee can be as simple as popping a pod into a machine or as complex as mastering a high-tech espresso machine.

— Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 21 Oct. 2026
Ward went on to join Ohio’s BalletMet and North Carolina Dance Theatre, mastering classical and neoclassical styles until his heart demanded a move beyond those orthodoxies.

— Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of mastering

Verb

Meanwhile, Eisenkot’s bloc, which consists of right-wing, centrist and left-wing parties, would get 54 seats, beating Netanyahu while still falling short of a clear victory.

— Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2026
The Chicago Bears were 8-0 for the first time since 1942, after beating the Minnesota Vikings 27-9 at Soldier Field.

— Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of beating

Verb

Marsh argued conquering the global market means knowing differences between international markets.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
Before conquering Hollywood, Ali played Division I basketball (standing at six feet four) and released rap albums under the name Prince Ali.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of conquering

Verb

Her hours used to be filled with calls, note-taking and lengthy card disclosures.

— Lindsay Dodgson, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
Dallas Mavericks star Cooper Flagg exited Friday night's game against the Indiana Pacers with an apparent shoulder injury after taking a hard foul while attempting a layup.

— Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of taking

Verb

Now, Tan-Gillespie is tasked with getting KFC’s American business back on track as the brand faces growing competition paired with more health-conscious and cash-strapped consumers.

— Preston Fore, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2026
Before Rover, success meant getting promotions, landing bigger clients and climbing the corporate ladder.

— Sally Simmons, Contributor, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of getting

Verb

That nonprofit group has been building resilience in lower-resource countries for over a decade, dispatching coaches and mentors to educate and train local healthcare students and practitioners as well as building financial and material resources.

— Diane Cole, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026
More important than the figures themselves is the engine’s broad, effortless power delivery, which makes the Carrera T feel eager whether carving through a mountain road or dispatching a stretch of freeway.

— Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of dispatching

Verb

But Pollard was ruled down just outside the end zone in the second quarter, and Cleveland turned the Titans over on downs with Maliek Collins stopping Pollard on fourth-and-goal.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
But there's nothing stopping users from posting images or videos made with third party filters to the platform — or onto TikTok and Instagram, for that matter.

— Chloe Veltman, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of stopping

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defeated

defeating

defeatism

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“Defeating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defeating. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of defeating

verb

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