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Synonyms

beat off

Idioms  

  1. Repulse, drive away by blows, as in We tried to beat off the flying ants swarming about us. Originating in the mid-1600s in a military context, this term was being used for other activities by the mid-1700s.

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.

Wylfa beat off competition from another site at Oldbury in Gloucestershire, with the reactors designed by British engineering firm Rolls Royce, subject to final contracts, which are expected later this year.

From BBC • Nov. 12, 2025

Bradford beat off competition from County Durham, Southampton and Wrexham to be named the UK's City of Culture for 2025 in May last year.

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2023

Qatar beat off a challenge from South Korea in October to host the 2023 Asian Cup, using the facilities created for the World Cup.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 5, 2022

On a wonky night for UCLA, its defense giving out yardage like Rose Bowl flea market fliers and its offense a beat off its usual rhythm, one thing remained constant.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2022

They spread them in the sun to dry, then they beat off the dried outer hulls and stored the nuts in the attic for winter.

From "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder

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.