fighting off

VERB

defend oneself

Synonyms

WEAK

beat off bottle up check contain control curb fend off hold at bay hold back keep at bay oppose put up fight repel reply repress repulse resist restrain retaliate stave off ward off

Antonyms

WEAK

give in give up surrender yield

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.

Even Maekar’s political analysis cracks when confronted with the visual of Baelor standing in the mud with borrowed armor, fighting off Duncan’s foes, and of the assembled commons cheering for the hedge knight.

From Salon • Feb. 25, 2026

Queen Camilla has spoken for the first time publicly about fighting off an attacker on a train when she was a teenager, in an interview broadcast Wednesday.

From Barron's • Dec. 31, 2025

America’s territories have long been a paradox for a country that got its start by fighting off an imperialist foreign ruler.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 7, 2025

The company is fighting off stiff competition from Chinese firms as the government pushes for advanced tech manufacturing in a race with the US.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2025

But every time she entered that world of light, she was overwhelmed with images, memories, history, until she was flailing through the endless fragments of time, fighting off headache and vertigo and nausea.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee