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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Recent Examples of defeating
This came on the heels of another fleeting feel-good moment for the Rangers (20-18-6), who opened the new year by defeating the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers in Friday’s Winter Classic.
—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Zinke faced close races during his second House tenure however, winning his seat in the 2022 midterms by around three points before defeating the same opponent during the 2024 presidential election by more than seven points.
—Hunter Woodall, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
The Cougars scored a 71-54 win at Stanislaus State on Sunday after defeating UC Merced 70-64 on Friday.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
Westwood The Warriors (17-2) won their division at the Hays tournament by defeating Connally 92-26, Austin High 52-42, Dripping Springs 60-50 and the hosts 63-47.
—Colby Gordon, Austin American Statesman, 5 Jan. 2026
At the turn of the year, the Hawks were 0-5 with Young in the lineup since his mid-December return, before going out again — with the Young-less Hawks dismantling the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-102 on New Year’s Eve and then defeating the New York Knicks without Young on Friday night.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2026
And Will is, in so many ways, the key to defeating Vecna.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 2 Jan. 2026
The Lancers won their conference tournament by defeating Utah Tech and Utah Valley, with both matches going to penalty kicks.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 10 Nov. 2025
Ole Miss wound up defeating Oklahoma 34-26 in Norman.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Zinke faced close races during his second House tenure however, winning his seat in the 2022 midterms by around three points before defeating the same opponent during the 2024 presidential election by more than seven points.
—Hunter Woodall, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
The Cougars scored a 71-54 win at Stanislaus State on Sunday after defeating UC Merced 70-64 on Friday.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
Westwood The Warriors (17-2) won their division at the Hays tournament by defeating Connally 92-26, Austin High 52-42, Dripping Springs 60-50 and the hosts 63-47.
—Colby Gordon, Austin American Statesman, 5 Jan. 2026
At the turn of the year, the Hawks were 0-5 with Young in the lineup since his mid-December return, before going out again — with the Young-less Hawks dismantling the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-102 on New Year’s Eve and then defeating the New York Knicks without Young on Friday night.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2026
And Will is, in so many ways, the key to defeating Vecna.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 2 Jan. 2026
The Lancers won their conference tournament by defeating Utah Tech and Utah Valley, with both matches going to penalty kicks.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 10 Nov. 2025
Ole Miss wound up defeating Oklahoma 34-26 in Norman.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defeating
Verb
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DiMarco’s participation became a highlight of the event, with the student asking thoughtful questions about overcoming imposter syndrome and handling rejection.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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And that religion, like music, can carry the sound of struggle – but also the hope of one day overcoming the injustices and inequalities of everyday life.—
Ken Chitwood,
The Conversation,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But Musk, a sci-fi fan, has long been focused on humanity colonizing Mars and mastering space travel.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
3 Nov. 2025
-
The mastering guy gets more lines than the entire E Street Band.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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With mixer on medium speed, gradually add heavy cream, 1/2 cup at a time, beating until combined after each addition, 1 to 2 minutes total.—
Amanda Holstein,
Southern Living,
9 Nov. 2025
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On Saturday, that meant beating the Syracuse Orange 38-10 at Hard Rock Stadium.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
9 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Food and drink All-conquering culinary Alpinist Jean-Georges Vongerichten has planted his flag in Dublin at Jean-Georges at The Leinster.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 Jan. 2026
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The key to conquering such a bold shade?—
Rosie Jarman,
Vogue,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When in doubt, close the page and verify the URL before taking any action.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Roan ended up taking home the trophy.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Big Ten pushed for a model that would have each power conference receive multiple automatic bids, with the Big Ten and SEC each receiving four and the ACC and Big 12 each getting two.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
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And the back part of that is that the most fun is getting to act opposite people who are incredibly good, which is true for this cast.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Providence Fire Department officials quickly declared a mass casualty incident, according to records, with the department dispatching rescue task forces and requesting ballistic protection for medics who were ordered to standby until police could secure each scene.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
31 Dec. 2025
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As reported by local outlet Cleveland19, and per the police statement, police stated that officers responded immediately, dispatching all available patrol units and detectives due to the seriousness of the report and potential public danger.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
16 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Federal judge Julia Kobick in Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction stopping the Administration from enforcing the policy against Orr and six other individual plaintiffs in April.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
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Now, a passenger aircraft that can complete make the journey without stopping is in the final stages of construction, Qantas announced on Friday, releasing first images of the plane as it is assembled.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defeating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defeating. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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