as in overcomes
to achieve a victory over
they defeated their archrivals easily and moved into the next round of the play-offs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in losses
failure to win a contest
sore losers still griping about their defeat in the basketball game earlier that week
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in collapses
a falling short of one's goals
truly disheartened by the defeat of his plans to revitalize downtown
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of defeats
Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Haynes defeats Hall in District 2 Shamaiye Haynes maintained a sizable lead over Juanrique Hall in District 2, which covers uptown and west Charlotte.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2025
Continue reading … BOOTH BLUNDER – NFL broadcaster under fire for strange commentary as Buffalo defeats Kansas City.
—FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
In these sparsely populated spaces, the mountain always defeats the human, instilling a deep respect for the environment.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
The Vigenère cipher ingeniously defeats straightforward frequency analysis because not all E’s, for example, will get mapped to the same letter.
—Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 22 Oct. 2025
True What color does the Honmoon turn when HUNTR/X defeats the Saja Boys?
—Kara Nesvig, Parents, 17 Oct. 2025
Mighty Bhima, strongest of the Pandava brothers, defeats Duryodhana by breaking his thighs and crushing his genitals with his mace, literally hitting him below the belt.
—Seamus Sullivan
september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Providing a narrow network or mail-order-only option defeats the purpose.
—Wendy Barnes, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
Andy Jones, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
The Nighthawks were 3-17 across their first two seasons in Class 3A, with the majority of their defeats coming via running clock.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025
In the 2017 elections, Republicans suffered sharp defeats in the Virginia and New Jersey governor’s races, with Virginia Democrats sweeping all three statewide offices and winning a majority in the state General Assembly.
—Jamelle Bouie, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
But voters who showed up to the polls on Tuesday had a different point of view and delivered stinging defeats to Republicans.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
The Boilermakers have been consistently resistant against the pass this season and haven’t conceded more than two throwing passes in any single game, while the last two defeats against Michigan and Rutgers came by a combined margin of just eight points.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Although Ukraine for now is still maintaining a defense, the fall of Pokrovsk would be one of the most serious defeats Ukraine has suffered since March, when its troops were forced to retreat from Russia's Kursk region.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2025
Players must compete again the next day, leaving no time to dwell on defeats, while the organization doesn’t take victories for granted either.
—Karl Moore, Forbes.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
However, this approach defeats the primary purpose of insurance, which is to protect against catastrophic costs in the event of an unexpected medical crisis.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Haynes defeats Hall in District 2 Shamaiye Haynes maintained a sizable lead over Juanrique Hall in District 2, which covers uptown and west Charlotte.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2025
Continue reading … BOOTH BLUNDER – NFL broadcaster under fire for strange commentary as Buffalo defeats Kansas City.
—FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
In these sparsely populated spaces, the mountain always defeats the human, instilling a deep respect for the environment.
—Callum McLennan, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
The Vigenère cipher ingeniously defeats straightforward frequency analysis because not all E’s, for example, will get mapped to the same letter.
—Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 22 Oct. 2025
True What color does the Honmoon turn when HUNTR/X defeats the Saja Boys?
—Kara Nesvig, Parents, 17 Oct. 2025
Mighty Bhima, strongest of the Pandava brothers, defeats Duryodhana by breaking his thighs and crushing his genitals with his mace, literally hitting him below the belt.
—Seamus Sullivan
september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
Providing a narrow network or mail-order-only option defeats the purpose.
—Wendy Barnes, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
Liverpool have taken positive steps forward in their past two games, winning both following a run of six defeats in seven.
—Andy Jones, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
The Nighthawks were 3-17 across their first two seasons in Class 3A, with the majority of their defeats coming via running clock.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2025
In the 2017 elections, Republicans suffered sharp defeats in the Virginia and New Jersey governor’s races, with Virginia Democrats sweeping all three statewide offices and winning a majority in the state General Assembly.
—Jamelle Bouie, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
But voters who showed up to the polls on Tuesday had a different point of view and delivered stinging defeats to Republicans.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025
The Boilermakers have been consistently resistant against the pass this season and haven’t conceded more than two throwing passes in any single game, while the last two defeats against Michigan and Rutgers came by a combined margin of just eight points.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025
Although Ukraine for now is still maintaining a defense, the fall of Pokrovsk would be one of the most serious defeats Ukraine has suffered since March, when its troops were forced to retreat from Russia's Kursk region.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2025
Players must compete again the next day, leaving no time to dwell on defeats, while the organization doesn’t take victories for granted either.
—Karl Moore, Forbes.com, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defeats
Verb
-
Quick and direct, this young adult novel in verse about a closeted Black boy who overcomes fear and shame through the power of poetry reads almost like a journal entry.—
Amber McBride,
Literary Hub,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Inflatable module overcomes launch constraints Orbital platforms are typically constrained by limitations related to the launch vehicle.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Despite the losses, Damon traveled to Texas and won the national title, dedicating the victory to his family and supporters.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The governor on Wednesday was in Los Angeles meeting with local officials and residents on the anniversary of the Palisades and Eaton wildfires, among the deadliest and most destructive in state history with insured losses estimated to reach $40 billion.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Both have endured crippling US sanctions that have precipitated economic collapses.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The argument against aggression in Ukraine collapses.—
Jon Duffy,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Stylist Chrissy Rasmussen masters the layered medium-length look on clients.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
20 Dec. 2025
-
Bette Davis masters a rare light comedy turn as Sherry's long-suffering secretary, with Jimmy Durante as a visitor from Broadway and Wizard of Oz (1939) good witch Billie Burke as the overwhelmed matriarch of the Stanley clan.—
Gwen Ihnat,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
After back-to-back campaigns filled with setbacks, Scott re-signed with the Panthers on a 1-year deal this offseason.—
Mike Kaye
January 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Backups Jaylon Moore and Wanya Morris suffered setbacks in subsequent weeks, pushing the Chiefs down to their last options at tackle on the depth chart.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Thinking globally and acting locally means electing people of vision, not people who couldn't find their way out of a paper bag without a lobbyist lighting their way under the table, or down the wrong path where for-profit companies rule and teachers are scapegoated for society's failures.—
SHELLEY SMITH SPECIAL TO THE DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Despite multiple ongoing investigations, survivors say officials still lack answers about why response failures disproportionately affected west Altadena.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When the cooler months roll around, nothing beats the hearty flavors of this classic combination.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Snap beats revenue expectations and lifts guidance.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Chen oversaw 10 of these compounds, authorizing beatings and violence to keep the workers in line, the feds allege.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Among other things, the indictment accuses Maduro and his wife of ordering kidnappings, beatings and murders of those who owed them drug money or undermined their drug trafficking operation.—
Michael R. Sisak,
Fortune,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defeats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defeats. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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