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defeat

verb
de·​feat | \ di-ˈfÄ“t How to pronounce defeat (audio) , dÄ“-\
defeated; defeating; defeats

Definition of defeat

 (Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1 obsolete : destroy his unkindness may defeat my life— Shakespeare
2a law : nullify defeat an estate
b : frustrate sense 2a(1) defeat a hope
3 : to win victory over : beat defeated their archrivals in the championship game The bill was defeated in the Senate.

defeat

noun

Definition of defeat (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : frustration by nullification or by prevention of success the bill suffered defeat in the Senate
2 obsolete : destruction upon whose property and most dear life a damned defeat was made— Shakespeare
3a : an overthrow especially of an army in battle celebrate their defeat of the enemy
b : the loss of a contest his first defeat as a professional boxer
Other Words from defeat Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about defeat

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Other Words from defeat

Verb

defeatable \ di-​ˈfÄ“-​tÉ™-​bÉ™l How to pronounce defeatable (audio) , dÄ“-​ \ adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for defeat

Verb

conquer, vanquish, defeat, subdue, reduce, overcome, overthrow mean to get the better of by force or strategy. conquer implies gaining mastery of. Caesar conquered Gaul vanquish implies a complete overpowering. vanquished the enemy and ended the war defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals. the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas subdue implies a defeating and suppression. subdued the native tribes after years of fighting reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender. the city was reduced after a month-long siege overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle. overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power. violently overthrew the old regime

Examples of defeat in a Sentence

Verb

 We must be ready to defeat our enemies in battle. Our candidate defeated him in the last election. She finally found a solution to a problem that had defeated many other researchers. The bill was defeated in the state senate. Scientists from around the world are working to defeat the disease.

Noun

 We weren't prepared for defeat. One small error could make the difference between success and defeat. After several tries we were forced to accept defeat. They celebrated their defeat of the enemy.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

 Gonzales defeated LaHood in the March 2018 Democratic primary and succeeded him in January. — Brian Chasnoff, ExpressNews.com, "LaHood’s firm booted from case," 28 Aug. 2019 The varsity’s lower-level counterparts fared better against equally unexperienced opposition: Ramona’s junior varsity defeated Olympian by a 46-0 score and the Bulldogs’ freshman team prevailed in a 28-0 game. — Joe Naiman, Ramona Sentinel, "Bulldogs fall to Olympian gridders," 28 Aug. 2019 And Kristina Mladenovic defeated 2016 U.S. Open champion Angelique Kerber, 7-5, 0-6, 6-4. — James Martinez, BostonGlobe.com, "Serena Williams vs. Maria Sharapova tops packed first day of US Open," 26 Aug. 2019 His most successful high school stop was at St. Pius X, during which the Panthers won two district crowns, defeated St. Agnes for the first time in 30 years and finished one season 40-2. — Jack Marrion, Houston Chronicle, "Smith, St. John XXIII volleyball off to fast start," 26 Aug. 2019 Fittingly, his first start will be against Oregon, the team Newton’s Tigers defeated on Jan. 10, 2011. — Tom Green | Tgreen@al.com, al, "Freshman Orientation: Auburn’s Bo Nix the latest in trend of true freshman starting quarterbacks," 26 Aug. 2019 This show is set after Empire when Luke, Leia and Han defeat the Emperor and overthrow his government. — Eliana Dockterman, Time, "We Broke Down Every Second of the Mandalorian Trailer," 25 Aug. 2019 Horse racing: Apprentice Julio Correa won four times on Sunday’s closing day program to defeat Trevor McCarthy and clinch his first career riding title in style at Laurel Park. — Baltimore Sun Staff, baltimoresun.com, "Mystics set WNBA record with 18 3-pointers in rout of Fever," 18 Aug. 2019 His forces defeated Austria, and in 1804 Napoleon crowned himself emperor of France. — National Geographic, "Napoleon lost the Battle of Waterloo—here’s what went wrong," 15 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

 Minnesota accounts for one of those overall defeats, a dramatic 3-2 comeback for the Loons late in the ’17 season. — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, "Minnesota United want to ‘know how good it is’ to win a trophy in U.S. Open Cup final," 26 Aug. 2019 Smart’s longtime mentor and his Crimson Tide, however, have handed the Bulldogs a pair of demoralizing defeats the past two seasons — one in the 2017 national-title game and the other in the 2018 SEC Championship. — Edgar Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, "2019 College Football Countdown: No. 3 Georgia looks to break through, win SEC," 22 Aug. 2019 Mr Bailey, a born-and-bred Londoner whose electoral experience extends largely to two general-election defeats, won. — The Economist, "London’s mayoral race shows Tory disregard for the capital," 22 Aug. 2019 The defeat, their third in five one-point decisions this season, dropped them into a fifth-place tie with Vegas and Orlando, a game behind San Diego (6-6) and a game and a half behind New York (6-5) in the battle for the final two semifinal berths. —

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