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
The Spurs clinched their spot in the championship round after outlasting Oklahoma City, defeating the defending champs on the Thunder’s home floor in Game 7 on Saturday.
—
Tim Rohan, NBC news, 1 June 2026
Two weeks later, Barr walked away with the GOP nomination, defeating the other major Republican competitor, former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, by a 2-to-1 margin.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 1 June 2026
Entering Saturday, the Spurs had not reached the NBA Finals since winning the 2014 championship, defeating the Miami Heat in five games.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2026
Key Background The Knicks returned to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 after defeating the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers in a dominant playoff run, winning 11-straight games heading into the Finals.
—Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Chelsea reached the final by defeating Aston Villa 8-2 in the semi-finals, while United registered a 5-2 victory over Everton in their semi-final.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 30 May 2026
Giuliani ran on both the Republican and Liberal Party lines, defeating David Dinkins in a 1993 rematch.
—John Avlon, The Atlantic, 25 May 2026
Last month, Allin shocked the wrestling world by defeating the champ on AEW’s weekly episodic TV show Dynamite.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2026
The visiting Cougars, who play in the American Association of Professional Baseball, were in Winnipeg for a stretch of three games this week, defeating the Winnipeg Goldeyes on Tuesday but taking a loss to the Canadian team Wednesday.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
Tim Rohan, NBC news, 1 June 2026
Two weeks later, Barr walked away with the GOP nomination, defeating the other major Republican competitor, former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, by a 2-to-1 margin.
—David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 1 June 2026
Entering Saturday, the Spurs had not reached the NBA Finals since winning the 2014 championship, defeating the Miami Heat in five games.
—Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 31 May 2026
Key Background The Knicks returned to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 after defeating the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers in a dominant playoff run, winning 11-straight games heading into the Finals.
—Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
Chelsea reached the final by defeating Aston Villa 8-2 in the semi-finals, while United registered a 5-2 victory over Everton in their semi-final.
—Megan Feringa, New York Times, 30 May 2026
Giuliani ran on both the Republican and Liberal Party lines, defeating David Dinkins in a 1993 rematch.
—John Avlon, The Atlantic, 25 May 2026
Last month, Allin shocked the wrestling world by defeating the champ on AEW’s weekly episodic TV show Dynamite.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2026
The visiting Cougars, who play in the American Association of Professional Baseball, were in Winnipeg for a stretch of three games this week, defeating the Winnipeg Goldeyes on Tuesday but taking a loss to the Canadian team Wednesday.
—Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defeating
Verb
-
One lawmaker Lackey’s unofficial bill title wasn’t lost upon was Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, D-Jefferson Park, a lawmaker who has spoken publicly about overcoming systemic barriers in his own life as a Black man and has centered his political career largely on criminal justice reform.—
Andrew Graham
May 28,
Sacbee.com,
28 May 2026
-
That’s because the Phillies (29-27) stand as a serious threat in the wild-card races, and overcoming the Dodgers in the West race just isn’t realistic.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Europa-Park has surged in popularity by mastering regional destination tourism, unique cultural programming and showcasing pioneering attractions.—
Caroline Reid,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Something that helped Minderman take the next step was mastering the change-up, according to junior catcher Alex Abraham.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe beating and banging all the way to the checkers.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
-
Competitor Ross saw comparable sales jump a staggering 17%, beating expectations of 9%, and also attributed some of its outsize growth to extra stimulus.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,
CNBC,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Cobra Commander is primarily focused on conquering planet earth, not giving power lunch recommendations, as The Hollywood Reporter tried to get out of him in a voice chat.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2026
-
Perfect for conquering your next trail, the Speedgoat 6 is made with aggressive lugs that deliver a ton of traction and stability—they’re actually inspired by the hoof of a goat.—
Jasmine Gomez,
Travel + Leisure,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Several Republican primaries are taking place Tuesday in South Dakota, where Democrats have been shut out of statewide office since 2015.—
Washington Post staff,
Washington Post,
3 June 2026
-
The Peninsula swimming pool is among the best in the city; there's no better way to beat the heat in this famously hot capital than by taking a dip right on the river.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Both Landman and The Madison have been renewed for new seasons, with Landman heading into its third and The Madison getting a second, but the Landman stars could not divulge any details about what to anticipate in season 3.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
-
But getting the shoes, walking around in my spare time in New York in heels, which Carolyn does in the show and Sarah Pidgeon does not.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Additionally, ongoing conflict in northeastern DRC could make dispatching clinical care teams even harder.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
2 June 2026
-
The Knicks also had no issues dispatching the 76ers squad that ousted the Celtics in seven games.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
1 June 2026
Verb
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The latest the series can end is June 17; the shield stopping him from answering questions — not just about his past, but his present and future — is likely to stay in place.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
Texas is split down the middle on which issue should take priority — stopping voter fraud or preventing eligible citizens from being turned away at the ballot box — as a poll shows the split is not a sign of moderation but of deep partisan polarization.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defeating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defeating. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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