The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word LOSS which also is the latest solution we found used in New York Times in 2025.
Defeat crossword clue answers
Here's a list of possible crossword answers ranked by the most likely to least likely.
| Answer | Likelyness | Letters |
|---|---|---|
| LOSS | 19 % | 4 |
| BEST | 17 % | 4 |
| WORST | 15 % | 5 |
| ROUT | 10 % | 4 |
| BEAT | 6 % | 4 |
| LICK | 6 % | 4 |
| UPEND | 5 % | 5 |
| TOP | 3 % | 3 |
| SETBACK | 2 % | 7 |
| UPSET | 2 % | 5 |
| RUIN | 2 % | 4 |
| OUTDO | 2 % | 5 |
| OVERCOME | 1 % | 8 |
| WHIP | 1 % | 4 |
| TROUNCE | 1 % | 7 |
| OUTGUN | 1 % | 6 |
| DRUB | 1 % | 4 |
| WATERLOO | 1 % | 8 |
| SINK | 1 % | 4 |
| TRIM | 1 % | 4 |
| GETTHEBETTEROF | 1 % | 14 |
| THWART | 1 % | 6 |
| BEATING | 1 % | 7 |
| PUTTHEKIBOSHON | 1 % | 14 |
| STOP | 1 % | 4 |
| CONQUEST | 1 % | 8 |
| CHECKMATE | 1 % | 9 |
| MOPTHEFLOORWITH | 1 % | 15 |
Why may LOSS be the right solution?
The word "loss" means defeat or failure, making it a suitable answer for the clue "Defeat."
Words with a meaning similar to the clue: Defeat
These words may or may not be a possible solution to this crosswords clue.- overcome
- kill
- vote down
- vote out
- frustration
- licking
- vanquish
- topple
- fight
- combating
- overturn
- subvert
Crossword Answer definitions
LOSS noun- The result of no longer possessing an object, a function, or a characteristic due to external causes or misplacement.
- The destruction or ruin of an object.
- Something that has been destroyed or ruined.
- Defeat; an instance of being defeated.
- The death of a person or animal.
- The condition of grief caused by losing someone or something, especially someone who has died.
- (financial) The sum an entity loses on balance.
- Electricity of kinetic power expended without doing useful work.
More crossword clues leading to the same solutions
Here's a few more crossword clues - all leading to the identical solution
More clues leading to the result LOSS
- Balance sheet minus
- Misplacement
- Setback
- Fullback's setback
- Sports-page stat
- Forfeiture
- Negative yardage, in football
- Profit's counterpart
- _____ leader
- Bad investment outcome
More clues leading to the result BEST
- Old-time actress Edna
- Tops
- Defeat
- Optimal
- Nonpareil
- A+
- Top-level
- Highest-quality
- Oscar-night word
- Cheers alternative
More clues leading to the result WORST
- Most evil
- Far from the best
- Most atrocious
- No-star rating
- Bottom-of-the-barrel
- Ranked at the bottom
- Last-place
- Least favorable
- Earning a booby prize
- Bottom
More clues leading to the result ROUT
- Overthrow
- Scare off
- Sound defeat
- Decisive defeat
- Overwhelming defeat
- Complete ass-kicking
- Occasion for the mercy rule
- Crush in competition
- Contest that might involve a doormat
- Super Bowl XLVIII, e.g.
More clues leading to the result BEAT
- Cadence
- Exhausted
- Pooped out
- Tired
- Vanquished
- Worn out
- Dog tired
- Kerouac's generation
- Take a switch to
- Cop's rounds
More clues leading to the result LICK
- Clean off the beaters, perhaps
- Promise's partner
- Overcome
- One way to clean the beaters
- Lead guitarist's line
- Small amount
- Musical phrase
- Defeat
- Guitar flourish
- Vanquish, slangily
More clues leading to the result UPEND
- Give a shellacking to
- Go bottoms up
- Overturn
- Topple
- Capsize
- Turn over
- Flip over
- Knock down
- Topple over
- Overthrow
More clues leading to the result TOP
- "__ Hat" (Berlin musical)
- "__ o' the mornin'"
- Crowning point
- Dreidel e.g.
- Inning half
- Surpass
- Exceed
- Foremost
- Spinning toy
- Beyonce's "Love on ___"
More clues leading to the result SETBACK
- Reverse
- Football player studying theater design?
- It may be temporary
- Relapse
- Reversal
- Reversal of fortune
- Architectual detail
- Hitch
- This bankruptcy was to Sir Walter Scott.
- Skyscraper must.
More clues leading to the result UPSET
- Capsize
- In an agitated state
- Knock over
- 100-to-1 underdog's victory
- Out of sorts
- Unexpected victory
- Overturn
- Sports surprise
- Tip over
- Churning
More clues leading to the result RUIN
- Destroy
- Destroyed building
- Downfall
- Reduce to bankruptcy
- The road to __
- Destruction
- Completely botch
- Spoil
- Bankrupt
- Excavation site
More clues leading to the result OUTDO
- Achieve a personal best
- Surpass
- Top
- Be a cut above
- Exceed expectations
- One-up
- Trump
- Beat
- Go one better than
- Show up
More clues leading to the result OVERCOME
More clues leading to the result WHIP
- Beat, as cream
- BDSM prop
- Indiana prop
- Defeat soundly
- Beat to a froth
- Party big shot
- Tamer's handful
- Horse trainer's aid
- Thoroughly trounce
- Blender speed
More clues leading to the result TROUNCE
- Clobber
- Whip in competition
- Make mincemeat of
- Really beat
- Beat handily
- Beat soundly
- Don't just defeat
- Beat badly
- Beat in a laugher
- Defeat badly^TROUNC
More clues leading to the result OUTGUN
- Exceed in firepower
- Surpass in firepower
- Overwhelm
- Surpass
- Defeat
- Have more firepower than
- Defeat in battle
- Have superior firepower over
- Overpower in battle
- Overpower by force of arms
More clues leading to the result DRUB
- Thrash
- Defeat decisively
- Clobber with a stick
- Beat soundly
- Wipe the floor with
- Clobber
- Defeat handily
- Shellac
- Beat the tar out of
- Wallop but good
More clues leading to the result WATERLOO
- Napoleonic battle
- Destination in Belgium
- Battle that ended the Hundred Days
- Decisive defeat
- London station named after a famous battle
- Decisive downfall
- Battle of ___ (1815 conflict)
- ABBA's first hit
- Belgium city where Napoleon suffered a crushing defeat
- Crushing defeat
More clues leading to the result SINK
- Drop down
- Bathroom basin
- Smell skunky
- Make, as a putt
- Basement fixture, sometimes
- Get sent down to the lower leagues?
- Laundry room fixture
- Site for soap
- Kitchen fixture
- Bathroom fixture
More clues leading to the result TRIM
- Lean
- Shaping at the salon
- Short clip
- Svelte
- Use clippers
- Cut corners
- Touch up, as this puzzle's subject does to a beard (See STEPS)
- In shape
- A little off?
- Athletic
More clues leading to the result GETTHEBETTEROF
More clues leading to the result THWART
- Foil
- Block
- Frustrate
- Foil the plans of
- Oppose successfully
- Stymie
- Wreck the plans of
- Short-circuit
- Keep from happening
- Stymie, as plans
More clues leading to the result BEATING
More clues leading to the result PUTTHEKIBOSHON
More clues leading to the result STOP
- "__ the music!"
- Depot
- Halt
- Octagon message
- Organ piece
- Railroad-crossing word
- Scrub a mission
- Cease movement
- Discontinue
- Glottal __
More clues leading to the result CONQUEST
- Subjugation
- Vanquishment
- Victory
- Prescott's subject.
- 1066 marked one.
- Victory.
- Parole?
- Seduction
- Escape from prison?
- Defeat
More clues leading to the result CHECKMATE
- Likely last word to a patzer
- Endgame end
- Pay stub, from its friend's perspective?
- Last word in a cerebral game
- Carefully review a crew member's work?
- Game-ending declaration
- Grandmaster's last word ... and what the last word in 17-, 24-, 36- and 52-Across can be
- Last word in chess
- Game-ending announcement
- Move that ends a game.