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Synonyms

beat back

Idioms  

  1. Force to retreat or withdraw, as in His findings beat back all their arguments to the contrary. This phrase was often used in a military context (and still is), as in Their armies were beaten back. [Late 1500s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

In the Democratic primary, Platner, 41, beat back Maine’s governor, Janet Mills, who is 78.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

Yet Lopez once again beat back her well-funded opposition.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026

De la Espriella would be an unusual steward to beat back gangs and root out corruption, as he’s promised to do with the help of the Trump administration.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026

Themes may emerge: how you beat back adversity, sacrificed for others or discovered new ways to love.

From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026

Barack ran on the treadmill about an hour every day, trying to beat back his physical restlessness.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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