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   de·feat

   /dəˈfēt/

   verb

   • 1. win a victory over (someone) in a battle or other contest; overcome or beat: "Arab armies defeated the Byzantine garrison" Similar beatconquerwin againstwin a victory overtriumph overprevail overget the better ofbestworstvanquishrouttrounceovercomeoverpoweroverthrowoverwhelmcrushquashbring someone to their kneesquellsubjugatesubduerepulseinformal:lickthrashhammerwhipwipe the floor withwalk all overgive someone a hidingtake to the cleanersblow out of the waterrun rings aroundmake mincemeat ofclobberpastepoundpulverizecrucifymurdermassacreslaughterdemolishdrubgive someone a drubbingcanezapflattenturn inside outtankpwnstuffmarmalizeblow outcreamshellacskunkslamownOpposite lose to
   • ▪ prevent (someone) from achieving an aim: "she was defeated by the last steep hill" Similar thwartblockfrustratepreventfoilbalkruinput a stop toscotchobviateforestalldebarsnookerderailobstructimpedehinderhamperdeterdiscomfitinformal:put the kibosh onnip in the budput paid toput the stopper ondo forstymiescupperput the mockers onnobbleOpposite advanceassist
   • ▪ prevent (an aim) from being achieved: "don't cheat by allowing your body to droop—this defeats the object of the exercise"
   • ▪ reject or block (a motion or proposal): "the amendment was defeated" Similar rejectoverthrowthrow outdismissoutvotespurnrebuffturn downinformal:give the thumbs downOpposite pass
   • ▪ be impossible for (someone) to understand: "this line of reasoning defeats me, I must confess" Similar bafflepuzzleperplexbewildermystifybemuseconfuseconfoundfrustratenonplusthrowinformal:beatflummoxdiscombobulatefazestumpfoxbe all Greek to
   • ▪ render null and void; annul.

   noun

   • 1. an instance of defeating or being defeated: "she had still not quite admitted defeat" Similar lossbeatingconquestconqueringbestingworstingvanquishingvanquishmentgame, set, and matchrouttrouncingoverpoweringsubjugationsubduingreversedebacledownfallinformal:thrashinghidingdrubbinglickinghammeringwhippingclobberingpastingpoundingpulverizingmassacreslaughterdemolitioncaningflatteningpwnageownagefailuredownfallbreakdowncollapseruinlack of successdiscomfiturerejectionfrustrationfounderingmisfiringoverthrowabortionmiscarriageundoingreversedisappointmentsetbackOpposite victorysuccess

   Word Origin late Middle English (in the sense ‘undo, destroy, annul’): from Old French desfait ‘undone’, past participle of desfaire, from medieval Latin disfacere ‘undo’.

   Scrabble Points: 10

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2. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishDEFEAT | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   to win against someone in a fight, war, or competition: Napoleon was defeated by the Duke of Wellington at the battle of Waterloo. They defeated the Italian team and reached the final. Synonyms. annihilate informal. beat (DEFEAT) conquer. crush (BEAT) hammer (DEFEAT) informal. thrash (DEFEAT) informal. trounce. See also. self-defeating.

3. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › defeatDefeat Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › defeat

   • Cached

   The meaning of DEFEAT is to win victory over : beat. How to use defeat in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Defeat.

4. www.dictionary.com › browse › defeatDEFEAT Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › defeat

   • Cached

   To defeat someone is to beat them in a competition or contest. As a noun, a defeat is a loss (as in That was the team’s first defeat of the season) and defeat is the state of having lost (as in the agony of defeat).

5. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › defeatDefeat - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › defeat

   When you win, you defeat your enemy. This is a word that's all about losing. In World War II, America and the Allies defeated the Axis powers: we beat them. In basketball, Michael Jordan usually defeated his opponents. Any loss can be called a defeat.

6. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishDEFEAT definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   Defeat is the state of being beaten in a battle, game, or contest, or of failing to achieve what you wanted to. The most important thing is not to admit defeat. American English : defeat / dɪˈfit /

7. www.thefreedictionary.com › defeatDefeat - definition of defeat by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › defeat

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   1. a. The act of defeating an opponent: the home team's defeat of their rivals. b. The state of being defeated; failure to win: the home team's defeat by their rivals. 2. A coming to naught; frustration: the defeat of a lifelong dream. 3. Law. a. The act of overcoming or frustrating the enforcement of. b. Law The act of making null and void.

8. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definitiondefeat verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definition

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   to win against somebody in a war, competition, sports game, etc. synonym beat. defeat somebody/something He defeated the champion in three sets. to defeat a rival/an opponent. The goal is to defeat the enemy by whatever means possible. a defeated army. Garibaldi defeated the Neapolitan army.

9. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-englishDEFEAT | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-english

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   DEFEAT definition: 1. to win against someone in a fight or competition: 2. to make someone or something fail: 3. an…. Learn more.

10. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › englishdefeat noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes...

    www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › english

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    [uncountable, countable] failure to win or to be successful. The party faces defeat in the election. They suffered a narrow defeat in the final. a heavy/humiliating/crushing defeat. The world champion has only had two defeats in 20 fights. They finally had to admit defeat (= stop trying to be successful). to concede/accept defeat.

11. www.yourdictionary.com › defeatDefeat Definition & Meaning | YourDictionary

    www.yourdictionary.com › defeat

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    Defeat definition: To do better than (another) in a competition or battle; win victory over; beat.