beat back

verb

beat back; beaten back or beat back; beating back; beats back
: to force (someone) to go back or to retreat by fighting
Our troops were beaten back by enemy forces.
Police used batons to beat the protesters back.

Examples of beat back in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum celebrated the reopening on Monday morning, and her administration outlined precautions to beat back the outbreak. — Abraham Tellez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026 Before his ouster last month, Fedorov had helped design Ukraine's strategy seeking to bring an end to the war by turning to drones and robots to beat back its larger adversary. — CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 Ellison in recent weeks has sought to beat back Bonta with a slew of moves — a foot-soldier media blitz, a threat to leave California and a motion to force Bonta’s hand by making taxpayers pay the ticking-clock fees. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026 Ukraine’s defense forces have beaten back many types of Russian attacks during more than four years of war. — Greg Myre, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beat back

Rhymes for beat back

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Browse Nearby Words

beat a retreat
beat back
beat/bang the drum for
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beat back.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beat%20back. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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