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   defeat

   /dɪˈfiːt/

   verb

   • 1. win a victory over (someone) in a battle or other contest; overcome or beat: "Garibaldi defeated the Neapolitan army" 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 round/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: "a 1–0 defeat by Grimsby" 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

   • D

     2

   • E

     1

   • F

     4

   • E

     1

   • A

     1

   • T

     1

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