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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of defeating
Auburn opened the season by defeating visiting Baylor by two touchdowns, a good win to begin with and one that looks better after the Bears outlasted SMU.
—
Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz won his second US Open title, defeating Italian rival Jannik Sinner in four thrilling sets.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Aryna Sabalenka poses with her trophy after defeating Amanda Anisimova of the United States during their Women's Singles Final match on Day Fourteen of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 06, 2025 in New York City.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Sinner won this year’s Australian Open and Wimbledon, defeating Alcaraz in four sets in the latter.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Sinner won the event last year, defeating American Taylor Fritz.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2025
The Eagles went on to win the Super Bowl, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in surprisingly easy fashion, so maybe a long trip won’t impact the Chargers negatively but bind them closer together during what looms as a very long business trip.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 1 Sep. 2025
Especially in cases where freshly poured concrete gets stained, those leaks can feel defeating.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 30 Aug. 2025
And the Buckeyes sent him into retirement on a winning note, defeating the Longhorns 14-7.
—Joe Reedy, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz won his second US Open title, defeating Italian rival Jannik Sinner in four thrilling sets.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Aryna Sabalenka poses with her trophy after defeating Amanda Anisimova of the United States during their Women's Singles Final match on Day Fourteen of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 06, 2025 in New York City.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Sinner won this year’s Australian Open and Wimbledon, defeating Alcaraz in four sets in the latter.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Sinner won the event last year, defeating American Taylor Fritz.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2025
The Eagles went on to win the Super Bowl, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in surprisingly easy fashion, so maybe a long trip won’t impact the Chargers negatively but bind them closer together during what looms as a very long business trip.
—Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 1 Sep. 2025
Especially in cases where freshly poured concrete gets stained, those leaks can feel defeating.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 30 Aug. 2025
And the Buckeyes sent him into retirement on a winning note, defeating the Longhorns 14-7.
—Joe Reedy, Chicago Tribune, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defeating
Verb
-
He was reminded that his career had been shaped by overcoming doubts and slights going back to high school, when he was offered the same amount of Division I football scholarships that were offered to the average sportswriter who covers him.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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But by the end, in its rush, the movie still hasn’t quite come up with a point of view on whether McCartney really got over his bust-up with Lennon with a little help from his Wings friends, or whether forming a band was ultimately incidental to overcoming any lingering separation anxiety.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Moving forward, mastering a personal podcast could replace soft-focus biographies or wonky books as a way for politicians to increase their profiles.—
David Bauder,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
For wardrobe stylist Kathryne Cole, mastering the fit is key to styling wide-leg jeans for your body type.—
Jessie Quinn,
Flow Space,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Jays spent much of their 2025 rise beating up on the Yankees, and three September games at Yankee Stadium presented a chance for one last jab.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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Needless to say, beating the Jets was a good feeling for the 41-year-old signal caller.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even after the company turned much of its attention towards other genres — conquering the planet with World of Warcraft — StarCraft 2 arrived in 2010 to critical and player acclaim.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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My mission in life is to empower leaders to cultivate inner mastery and empathy, knowing that true strength comes from conquering inner battles and developing a growth mindset.—
Dr. Adil Dalal,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Physio Ash Pracy departs while head of women’s physio Amy Cranston is also taking maternity leave on a temporary basis.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Kelce then helped the Chiefs by taking one for the team.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After the game, Witt was getting treatment and a further evaluation.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
-
To give so many deaf people the opportunity to work on a high-end TV drama was a really cool side bonus to getting Reunion made – not to mention the dozens of fantastic deaf actors who came in to play various roles in the show.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This time, the character dispatching his foes with John Wick-like efficiency is Eagly, whom the bird-blind Fleury is utterly helpless against.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
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The plans reportedly involved several options, including dispatching a few thousand members of the Guard to Chicago as soon as September.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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For thinkers like Ratti, the time for stopping or slowing climate change has passed, and the time for climate adaptation is upon us.—
Kate Wagner,
Curbed,
5 Sep. 2025
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The European Commission isn't stopping with financial penalties, though.—
Ryan Whitwam,
ArsTechnica,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defeating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defeating. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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