fight off

verb

to repulse; repel
to struggle to avoid or repress
to fight off a cold

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Idioms and Phrases

Defend against, drive back, as in I've been fighting off a cold all week . This figurative use of the term, originally meaning “to repel an enemy” dates from the early 1800s.

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Example Sentences

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

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The recent deaths of two children have not convinced her to get vaccinated, she said, adding that she was healthy and wanted to let her body "fight off" infections.

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It became about the Lakers as a whole, the group crying the same tears, fighting off the same emotions and celebrating with an exhale that can propel them into the playoffs.

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He says there are biological reasons – the male immune system is less able to fight off infection.

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The Bruins fought off another explosive offense in the second round last year, overcoming a 10-point deficit in the second half against Creighton.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

fight it out fight-or-flight

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