 | French | English  | |
 | l'emporter sur qn. | to beat sb. [defeat] | |
| mil. défaire qn./qc. | to beat sb./sth. [defeat] | |
| mil. sport écrabouiller qn./qc. [fam.] [vaincre] | to beat sb./sth. [defeat] | |
| vaincre qn. | to checkmate sb. [defeat] | |
| mettre qn. sur le flanc [fam.] | to checkmate sb. [fig.: thwart; defeat completely; literally: chess] | |
| mil. sport écrabouiller qn./qc. [fam.] [vaincre] | to crush sb./sth. [coll.] [defeat] | |
| se trouver menacé de [défaite, ruine] | to face [defeat, ruin] | |
| descendre qn. en flammes [fam.] [loc.] | to lick sb. [coll.] [beat, defeat] | |
| battre qn. à plates coutures [fam.] [fig.] | to trounce sb. [coll.] [defeat comprehensively] | |
| Nouns |
| mil. raclée {f} [fam.] [défaite] | rout [defeat] | |
| 2 Words: Verbs |
| descendre qn. en flammes [fam.] [loc.] | to blow sb. away [coll.] [soundly defeat] | |
| mettre une branlée à qn. [vulg.] [loc.] | to kick sb.'s ass [Am.] [vulg.] [idiom] [defeat utterly] | |
| essuyer qc. [refus, échec, critiques] | to meet with sth. [refusal, defeat, criticism] | |
| 2 Words: Nouns |
| lourde défaite {f} | (total) shellacking [Am.] [coll.] [defeat] | |
| hist. mil. naut. expédition {f} de Penobscot [1779] | Penobscot Expedition [1779] [US naval armada sent to reclaim control of mid-coast Maine from the British. Resulted in worse US naval defeat before Pearl Habor] | |
| 3 Words: Nouns |
| hist. mil. pol. bataille {f} d'Abrittus [251] [aussi : bataille du forum Terebronii] | Battle of Abritus [251] [also: Battle of Forum Terebronii] [heavy defeat of Roman army by federation of Goths and Scyths] | |
| géogr. hist. mil. bataille {m} de Bailén [1808] [aussi : bataille de Baylen] | Battle of Bailén [1808] [the first open-field defeat of a Napoleonic army - by the Spanish Army of Andalusia] | |
| hist. mil. bataille {f} de Buçaco [1810] | Battle of Buçaco [1810] [also: Battle of Bussaco] [major battle in the Portuguese mountains, which resulted in the defeat of French forces by Lord Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army] | |
| hist. mil. pol. bataille {f} de Chemnitz [1639] | Battle of Chemnitz [1639] [Swedish forces inflicted crushing defeat on the combined Saxon/Imperial forces] | |
| hist. mil. pol. bataille {f} de Lemberg [1914] | Battle of Lemberg [1914] [Russian defeat of Austro-Hungarian army] [also: Battle of Galicia] | |
| hist. mil. naut. bataille {f} de Lépante [1571] | Battle of Lepanto [1571] [fleet of the Holy League inflicted heavy defeat on the fleet of the Ottoman Empire] | |
| hist. mil. bataille {f} de Ligny [1815] [aussi : bataille de Fleurus] | Battle of Ligny [1815] [the last victory for Napoleon; the French army defeat of the Prussian army was not decisive] | |
| hist. mil. pol. bataille {f} de Manzikert [1071] | Battle of Manzikert [1071] [also: Battle of Malazgirt] [decisive defeat of the Byzantine Empire by the Seljuk Empire] | |
| hist. mil. pol. bataille {f} de Marathon [490 av. J.-C.] | Battle of Marathon [490 BC ] [Greek army inflicted a crushing defeat on the Persians] | |
| hist. mil. pol. première bataille {f} de Nördlingen [1634] | Battle of Nördlingen [1634] [combined Imperial-Spanish force inflicted a crushing defeat on the Swedish-German army] | |
| géogr. hist. mil. bataille {f} d'Othée [1408] | Battle of Othée [in 1408 the militia and citizens of Liège suffered a heavy defeat against a professional army under John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy.] | |
| hist. mil. bataille {f} de Patay [1429] | Battle of Patay [in 1429, the culminating engagement of the Loire Campaign of the 100 Years' War, when the French cavalry inflicted a severe defeat on the English.] | |
| hist. mil. relig. bataille {f} de Sablat [1619] | Battle of Sablat [1619] [one of first battles in 30 Years' War; Protestant defeat] | |
| hist. mil. relig. bataille {f} de Wimpfen [1622] | Battle of Wimpfen [1622] [early battle in 30 Years' War; Protestant defeat] | |
| hist. mil. relig. siège {m} de Damas [1148] | siege of Damascus [1148] [crusader defeat led to the disintegration of the 2nd Crusade] | |
| hist. mil. pol. traité {m} de Paris [1815] | Treaty of Paris [1815] [also: Second Treaty of Paris] [ after the defeat and the second abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte] | |
| 4 Words: Verbs |
| jeux sport se coucher [fig.] | to throw in the towel [fig.] [concede defeat] | |
| 4 Words: Nouns |
| hist. mil. pol. bataille {f} d'Aspern-Essling [1809] [aussi : bataille d'Essling ou bataille d'Aspern] | Battle of Aspern-Essling [1809] [Napoleon occupying Vienna, tried to cross the Danube. The Austrian army drove the French army back with heavy losses. This was Napoleon's 1st personal defeat] | |
| géogr. hist. mil. bataille {f} de Nicopolis [1396] | Battle of Nikopol (Bulgaria) [1396 defeat by Ottoman army of Crusader army from France, Burgundy, Hungary, etc] | |
| hist. mil. pol. bataille {f} de la Montagne-Blanche [1620] | Battle of White Mountain [1620] [defeat of the Bohemian Revolt, ensuring Habsburg control for the next 300 years] | |
| hist. pol. Jean {m} II le Bon [1319-1364] | John II the Good [1319-1364] [King of France 1350-1364 but spent much time in captivity in London after defeat at Battle of Poitiers in 1356] | |
| 5+ Words: Nouns |
| arts hist. mil. monument {m} de la Bataille des Nations | Monument to the Battle of the Nations [commemorates the defeat of Napoleon's French army at Leipzig in 1813] | |
