26984 words

defeats

8 definitions • 13 examples
1
to win against someone in a fight, war, or competition:

Examples:

Napoleon was defeated by the Duke of Wellington at the battle of Waterloo.
They defeated the Italian team and reached the final.
2
to cause someone or something to fail:

Examples:

be narrowly defeated The proposal to change the rules was narrowly defeated (= by a very small number) by 201 votes to 196.
Our ambitions for this tournament have been defeated by the weather.
I'm afraid anything that involves language learning has always defeated me (= I have been unable to do it).
3
the fact of losing against someone in a fight or competition, or when someone or something is made to fail:

Examples:

After their defeat in battle, the soldiers surrendered.
4
to accept that you have lost a fight or competition:

Examples:

She admitted defeat well before all the votes had been counted.
5
to accept that you cannot do something:

Examples:

I thought I could fix the radio myself, but I had to admit defeat.
6
to oppose and cause someone to lose in a competition or war so that you can win:

Examples:

Bill Clinton defeated George Bush for the presidency in 1992.
7
success in competition with an opponent, causing the opponent to lose so that you can win:

Examples:

[ U ] In the American Civil War, the North’s defeat of the South involved tremendous loss of life on both sides.
8
A defeat is also the action or fact of losing a competition or war:

Examples:

[ C ] This was the team’s fifth straight defeat.

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