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
Most importantly, some workers coordinated with the French Resistance on D-Day, sabotaging trains to prevent German armaments from reaching the Normandy beaches and fighting off the Allies.
—
Sarah Federman, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025
Congress has been looking into site-neutral payments for years, but hospitals have long fought off any attempts to equalize payment rates, arguing such a move would hurt rural providers and those that rely on a high proportion of Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2025
The European country has been fighting off a Russian invasion since February 2022.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
Marian acted quickly, and fought off the aggressive alligator with a tomato stake.
—Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fight off
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Sarah Federman, The Conversation, 16 Apr. 2025
Congress has been looking into site-neutral payments for years, but hospitals have long fought off any attempts to equalize payment rates, arguing such a move would hurt rural providers and those that rely on a high proportion of Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.
—Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 15 Apr. 2025
The European country has been fighting off a Russian invasion since February 2022.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
Marian acted quickly, and fought off the aggressive alligator with a tomato stake.
—Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 12 Apr. 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 23 Apr. 2025.
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