defeat 1 of 2

verb

di-ˈfēt How to pronounce defeat (audio)
Definition of defeatnext
as in to overcome
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

defeat

2 of 2

noun

1
as in loss
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 collapse
a falling short of one's goals truly disheartened by the defeat of his plans to revitalize downtown

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb defeat differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of defeat are conquer, overcome, overthrow, reduce, subdue, and vanquish. While all these words mean "to get the better of by force or strategy," defeat does not imply the finality or completeness of vanquish which it otherwise equals.

the Confederates defeated the Union forces at Manassas

When is conquer a more appropriate choice than defeat?

In some situations, the words conquer and defeat are roughly equivalent. However, conquer implies gaining mastery of.

Caesar conquered Gaul

When could overcome be used to replace defeat?

While in some cases nearly identical to defeat, overcome suggests getting the better of with difficulty or after hard struggle.

overcame a host of bureaucratic roadblocks

When might overthrow be a better fit than defeat?

While the synonyms overthrow and defeat are close in meaning, overthrow stresses the bringing down or destruction of existing power.

violently overthrew the old regime

When can reduce be used instead of defeat?

The meanings of reduce and defeat largely overlap; however, reduce implies a forcing to capitulate or surrender.

the city was reduced after a month-long siege

Where would subdue be a reasonable alternative to defeat?

The words subdue and defeat are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, subdue implies a defeating and suppression.

subdued the native tribes after years of fighting

When would vanquish be a good substitute for defeat?

The synonyms vanquish and defeat are sometimes interchangeable, but vanquish implies a complete overpowering.

vanquished the enemy and ended the war

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of defeat
Verb
Israel has vowed to continue the war until all the hostages are returned and Hamas has been either defeated or disarmed and sent into exile. —Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025 The Warriors went 48-34 last season, defeating the Rockets in seven games before falling to the Timberwolves in the second round. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 28 May 2025
Noun
The operation, which took place in 1943, played a key role in the Axis defeat by confusing the enemy around the timing/location of military operations. —Dave Quinn, People.com, 28 May 2025 Errant with all five pitches, Wandy Peralta issued a killer walk to a raw No. 9 hitter who’d gifted him with strike one. Hart, who said the defeat fell on him, allowed Jesús Sanchez’s first homer against a lefty this year. —Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for defeat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defeat
  1. overcome
  2. loss
  3. collapse
  4. master
  5. beating
  6. failure
  7. beat
  8. setback
Verb
  • Learning how to overcome your own anxiety is the first step to helping your kids do the same, said Robbins.
    — Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 30 May 2025
  • The odds remain against them — only 16.1% of teams have overcome a 3-2 deficit in NBA playoff history — but the Knicks are coming off their best all-around performance of the series.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 30 May 2025
Definition of overcome
Noun
  • The Democratic Party suffered significant blows in 2024 with President Donald Trump's reelection and the narrow loss of both chambers of Congress.
    — Hannah Gaskill, Baltimore Sun, 27 May 2025
  • One of the key themes of Part II is the fact that everyone is only seeing things from their perspective; all these characters who are suffering loss and passing that suffering on to others are doing so in ignorance.
    — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2025
Definition of loss
Noun
  • Meanwhile, rural hospitals — already on the brink of collapse — will close their doors, leaving entire communities without access to emergency care.
    — Brian Castrucci, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
  • There were also signs of lung collapse and fluid buildup (edema).
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 28 May 2025
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • Topics include earning passive income online, mastering communication and public speaking skills, acing your job interview, and practical strategies to grow your wealth.
    — Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 21 May 2025
  • Nike has mastered this by creating compelling narratives around athletes’ journeys.
    — Erik Huberman, Rolling Stone, 21 May 2025
Definition of master
Noun
  • Two days after the beating, Ventura had to walk the red carpet for the premiere of her movie, The Perfect Match.
    — Danielle Bacher, People.com, 20 May 2025
  • Richard said that the beatings continued in the car on the way home after the dinner.
    — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 19 May 2025
Definition of beating
Noun
  • Building failures, from malfunctioning boilers and coolers to plumbing and roof leaks, are increasingly occurring, some of them during high-profile medical and tech conventions, the most recent just a couple of months ago.
    — Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025
  • The failure to adequately cover Biden’s decline points to a broader breakdown that has a simple explanation.
    — Becket Adams, National Review, 25 May 2025
Definition of failure
Verb
  • The men beat 27-year-old Chin with a baseball bat, cracking his skull.
    — Hannah Allam, ProPublica, 31 May 2025
  • The Oilers, who finished third in the Pacific Division, beat the Los Angeles Kings in six games, the Vegas Golden Knights in five games and the Dallas Stars in five games to return to the Stanley Cup Final.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 30 May 2025
Definition of beat
Noun
  • Yet Vardy took his early setbacks and used them to become one of the most resilient players in history.
    — Ciarán McArdle, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
  • By all accounts, there has been no setback in his return from the elbow inflammation that has sidelined him since mid-March.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2025
Definition of setback

Browse Nearby Words

defeasances
defeat
defeated
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Defeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defeat. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on defeat

Nglish: Translation of defeat for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

'Bring' vs. 'Take'

Is it 'used to' or 'use to'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

Possum vs. Opossum: Is There a Difference?

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All