fight off
phrasal verb
fought off; fighting off; fights off
: to defend oneself against (someone or something) by fighting or struggling : to avoid being harmed or overcome by (someone or something) by fighting or struggling
They fought off the attack/attackers.
I'm trying to fight off a cold.
Examples of fight off in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Spanish midfielder, returning from injury and playing his most complete match in weeks, fought off a defender to wrap around Columbus goalkeeper and restore Charlotte’s lead in the 75th minute.
—
Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 25 May 2025
The woman fought off the man and was able to warn other women in the area about the attack, Aurora police said Wednesday.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 21 May 2025
In somewhat of a parallel to the playoffs, where OKC knocked off the Denver Nuggets in seven games to move into the Western Conference Finals, Gilgeous-Alexander fought off three-time league MVP Nikola Jokić – who averaged an incredible triple-double on the year – to win the award.
—Patrick Sung, CNN Money, 21 May 2025
Joc Pederson fought off three of them in a third-inning at-bat before failing to stop on a check swing against a wild sinker that flew into the other batter’s box.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fight off
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Colin Cerniglia, Charlotte Observer, 25 May 2025
The woman fought off the man and was able to warn other women in the area about the attack, Aurora police said Wednesday.
—Katie Langford, Denver Post, 21 May 2025
In somewhat of a parallel to the playoffs, where OKC knocked off the Denver Nuggets in seven games to move into the Western Conference Finals, Gilgeous-Alexander fought off three-time league MVP Nikola Jokić – who averaged an incredible triple-double on the year – to win the award.
—Patrick Sung, CNN Money, 21 May 2025
Joc Pederson fought off three of them in a third-inning at-bat before failing to stop on a check swing against a wild sinker that flew into the other batter’s box.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fight off
Cite this Entry
“Fight off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fight%20off. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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