fight off

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
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.
The company also has had to fight off an ever-growing YouTube, which is increasingly becoming the dominant platform on TV screens in addition to its video lead on mobile devices. — Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026 Carolina hasn’t had to worry about this since 2023, back when Jaycee Horn was still fighting off the incessant injury bug and the team’s starting corners were Donte Jackson and CJ Henderson. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 Oct. 2026 The captain of the plane was able to fight off the co-pilot long enough to unlock the cockpit door. — Matt Gutman, CBS News, 5 Oct. 2026 The suspect was stopped after Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to get in fight off the suspect, and take back the controls, investigators said. — Clark Bentson, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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