as in to repel
to drive back
the defense managed to beat off those offensive players who were taking shots at the goalie
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Recent Examples of beat off
He regularly gets beat off the bounce by quicker players.
—
Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
The dogs had driven the woman into the surf before a tourist came to her rescue, beating off the dingoes.
—CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
Chip Somodevilla/Pool Photo via AP What To Know Obama beat off stiff competition from the likes of David Attenborough and Tom Hanks to win the Outstanding Narrator prize for his narration of the five-part Netflix series Our Oceans, which examines marine life across the world's oceans.
—Daniel Orton, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
In 2024, it was given to Netflix France series Class Act, which beat off competition from huge hits like The Bear, Beef and Succession.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
Breathing problems which sent my heart beat off the charts.
—David Velasco, Harpers Magazine, 18 Dec. 2023
Sam Vecenie, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
The dogs had driven the woman into the surf before a tourist came to her rescue, beating off the dingoes.
—CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026
Chip Somodevilla/Pool Photo via AP What To Know Obama beat off stiff competition from the likes of David Attenborough and Tom Hanks to win the Outstanding Narrator prize for his narration of the five-part Netflix series Our Oceans, which examines marine life across the world's oceans.
—Daniel Orton, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
In 2024, it was given to Netflix France series Class Act, which beat off competition from huge hits like The Bear, Beef and Succession.
—Max Goldbart, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
Breathing problems which sent my heart beat off the charts.
—David Velasco, Harpers Magazine, 18 Dec. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beat off
Verb
-
Recliner protectors are built to repel liquids enough to be easily wiped away.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Additionally, placing cedar blocks within storage bags, boxes, and bins will help repel moths and carpet beetles, Flores adds.—
Caroline Lubinsky,
Martha Stewart,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With sedge plants, the rhizomes create a tough mat just below ground level that resists foot traffic.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Both homeowners were charged with resisting.—
Terell Bailey,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Megan, meanwhile, gets increasingly emotional, turns away from the audience to wipe her tears, then pulls herself together and smiles so that the show can go on and everybody else can bow as well.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
27 Apr. 2026
-
In turning away the case, the Supreme Court leaves that lower court decision in place.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
He was advised to turn back along the same route and keep moving to avoid falling asleep through hypothermia.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Among the vessels attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz during the ceasefire, several were fired upon and others turned back.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Floyd, distraught by his own physical failures, is nevertheless repulsed by the sight of Carol in her big, burly ump gear.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
In the mid-19th century, Kasanje was able to repulse a Portuguese military expedition.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Though Smith might have to stave off Charles, an elite gunner prior to tearing his ACL in 2024, missing all of last season.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Defensive end will be interesting to sort out, as Woodfork will have plenty of competition to stave off to make the rotation.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beat off.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat%20off. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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