Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

defeat

1 noun
     
de‧feat1 W3 [uncountable and countable]
1 failure to win or succeedCOLLOCATIONS COLLOCATIONS
admit/accept/concede defeat suffer a defeat (=experience a defeat) a heavy/humiliating/crushing/resounding defeat a narrow defeat (=by only a small amount) inflict a defeat on somebody
She was a woman who hated to admit defeat.
The Democratic Party candidate has already conceded defeat.
defeat in
The socialist party suffered a crushing defeat in the French elections.
The captain offered no excuses for his team's humiliating defeat.
Italy's narrow defeat in their game with Germany
They inflicted a heavy defeat on the Government's plans to tighten asylum controls.
2 victory over someone or something
defeat of
The defeat of the army was followed by the establishment of constitutional government.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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