as in pessimism
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Recent Examples of defeatism
The defeatism that has come to define the way that many young people today perceive the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis is not really part of her vocabulary.
—
Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2025
Some climate scientists prefer to call it climate defeatism instead, and others have called doom the new climate denial because of how disempowering its black-and-white logic is: There is nothing to be done to stop climate collapse, so why bother trying?
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2024
The billionaire founder’s defeatism—and private contemplation about leaving the U.S.—are shared by a cadre of wealthy Democratic Party backers, who have been left licking their wounds and trying to move forward after Harris’s defeat, the Times reported.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 2 Dec. 2024
Biden was compelled not by any fair comparison to the character and record of the Republican nominee, but by how polls had spread defeatism and panic among other party leaders, down-ballot Democrats and major donors.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for defeatism
Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2025
Some climate scientists prefer to call it climate defeatism instead, and others have called doom the new climate denial because of how disempowering its black-and-white logic is: There is nothing to be done to stop climate collapse, so why bother trying?
—Hazlitt, 3 Dec. 2024
The billionaire founder’s defeatism—and private contemplation about leaving the U.S.—are shared by a cadre of wealthy Democratic Party backers, who have been left licking their wounds and trying to move forward after Harris’s defeat, the Times reported.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 2 Dec. 2024
Biden was compelled not by any fair comparison to the character and record of the Republican nominee, but by how polls had spread defeatism and panic among other party leaders, down-ballot Democrats and major donors.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for defeatism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defeatism
Noun
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There’s growing evidence that social media and the decline of in-person social connection have coincided with major increases in anxiety and depression, as well as political polarization and pessimism about the future.—
Kim Samuel,
Time,
14 May 2025
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Minnesota’s odds of winning the series (-1000) are a sign of the pessimism around Curry’s injury status.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
12 May 2025
Noun
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One method for shrinking the staff will be to offer a voluntary deferred resignation program to employees of the Federal Reserve Board who would be fully eligible to retire at the end of 2027.—
Jesse Pound,
CNBC,
16 May 2025
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One of the nonprofits that received millions from the Hope Florida Foundation last year took in and spent the money without the knowledge of its board of directors, the group’s chairman wrote Wednesday in a resignation letter.—
Alexandra Glorioso,
Sun Sentinel,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defeatism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defeatism. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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