defeat
verb (used with object)
to overcome in a contest, election, battle, etc.; prevail over; vanquish.
had defeated
-
past perfectof defeat.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
After Littler had defeated 14 amateurs, some as young as 14, he was always going to have a tough task against 32-year-old Sherrock, a player who has won 21 times on the Women's PDC Series.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
In the mid-16th century, however, Spanish conquistadors had defeated the Incas in Bolivia, and the Sapa Inca’s size pales in comparison with the figures in the painting’s lower third.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Mexico was coming off a comfortable 2-0 victory over South Africa, while the South Koreans had defeated the Czech Republic 2-1, marking their first World Cup opening-match win since 2010.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
I found that repeat performances, in which previous major-party nominees for president ran again, sometimes against incumbents who had defeated them — have happened many times before, though not since 1956.
From New York Times ● Mar. 8, 2024
He had defeated Pompey’s last remaining son in Sicily and had at the same time deposed Marcus Lepidus.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
