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

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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
The Florida Gators have been crowned champions of the 2025 men’s basketball NCAA Tournament after defeating the Houston Cougars, 65-63, in thrilling fashion on Monday night. —Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2025 The pic rounds out the plot set up in the previous film, with Hunt now in possession of the key necessary to defeat the Entity. —Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 8 Apr. 2025
Noun
Smith’s name has come up in the aftermath of the Democrats‘ defeat. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2025 After Saturday’s defeat, the Heat (35-43) remained in 10th place in the Eastern Conference but fell one-half game behind the ninth-place Chicago Bulls (35-42), 1.5 games behind the eighth-place Atlanta Hawks (36-41) and three games behind the seventh-place Orlando Magic (38-40). —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 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
  • Republicans will need Democratic support to overcome a 60-vote threshold to be able to pass the bill in the Senate.
    — John Parkinson, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2025
  • After Republicans in the House and Senate had forged ahead on their own budget blueprints earlier this year, the Senate on Saturday adopted the compromise resolution, giving the House just days to overcome opposition and get it over the finish line before the recess.
    — Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of overcome
Noun
  • Selena was taken to Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead from blood loss and cardiac arrest.
    — Kelsie Gibson, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The then-vice president’s loss has propelled Beshear to at least a mid-level position in 2028 chatter.
    — David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of loss
Noun
  • At press time, authorities are still investigating the cause of the roof collapse.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The timing of her brand’s launch, coinciding with the collapse of the global economy, created an environment of enormous difficulty.
    — Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of collapse
Verb
  • To learn even more about the Omnibus changes and how an ERP-centric system can benefit your business, read SAP’s latest white paper on mastering CSRD here.
    — Sophia Mendelsohn, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • The award-winning, seventh-generation papier-mâché artisan will be the last in his family to master the craft.
    — Fahad Shah, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2025
Definition of master
Noun
  • Todd takes an emotional beating throughout the album.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2025
  • The demo is full of a lot of welcome, lighthearted touches, like the ability to surf on giant slabs of rock or shake the controller for a very ape-like beating of Donkey Kong's chest.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 3 Apr. 2025
Definition of beating
Noun
  • Depending on the med, this can include serious health hazards like liver and muscle damage or even kidney failure.
    — Caroline Tien, SELF, 7 Apr. 2025
  • The lack of storm planning included a failure to test backup equipment that could be needed in the event of a power outage.
    — Karri Peifer, Axios, 7 Apr. 2025
Definition of failure
Verb
  • Her defense has raised the possibility that someone else beat him to death and left him in the cold.
    — Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Her decision to turn down the Apple beat at the Journal in 2007, the year the iPhone was released, in order to pursue an M.F.A. in fiction propels an exploration of how much human creativity depends on the ideas and labor of others.
    — Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of beat
Noun
  • And with Julian then sharing the affair, that was a huge setback.
    — Breanne L. Heldman, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Emmett followed that setback with a June 2023 decision loss to Ilia Topuria.
    — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Definition of setback

Browse Nearby Words

defeasances
defeat
defeated
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Cite this Entry

“Defeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defeat. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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