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Defeat Quotes

Words on loss, setback, and resilience

These defeat quotes acknowledge how much a loss can hurt, whether on a personal scale or a much larger one. Several speak plainly about the pain of setbacks and what it takes to face them honestly.

All Iraqis can unite to defeat terrorism and can unite to rebuild the country.

Quotes by Ahmed Chalabi

Yet, history has shown that if material force can defeat some ideologies it can no longer obliterate a civilization without destabilizing the whole planet.

Quotes by Abdelaziz Bouteflika

We should not give up and we should not allow the problem to defeat us.

Quotes by A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

One can't doubt that the American objective in Iraq has failed - different plans have to be made. And the kernel here is the acknowledgement of defeat.

Quotes by William F. Buckley, Jr.

Defeated Quotes

South Vietnam faces total defeat, and soon.

Quotes by William Colby

Every defeat hurts.

Quotes by Trent Alexander-Arnold

There is no meeting of minds, no point of understanding with such terror. Just a choice: Defeat it or be defeated by it. And defeat it we must.

Quotes by Tony Blair

I've learned that something constructive comes from every defeat.

Quotes by Tom Landry

It is not a field of a few acres of ground, but a cause, that we are defending, and whether we defeat the enemy in one battle, or by degrees, the consequences will be the same.

Quotes by Thomas Paine

Defeating Quotes

We are going to have to be there until we defeat this enemy.

Quotes by Thelma Drake

The worst of all outcomes is that the Sandinistas will defeat the democratic fighters, and consequently they would have it all their way.

Quotes by Terry Sanford

The question the electorate asks is: 'What can you do for us? Are you just using us to defeat somebody because you have a personal grievance?'

Quotes by Sushma Swaraj

Defeat furnishes good material to the poets and the artists, but none of us care to have the glory of the conquered apply to us.

Quotes by Susan Glaspell

The struggle is always worthwhile, if the end be worthwhile and the means honorable; foreknowledge of defeat is not sufficient reason to withdraw from the contest.

Quotes by Steven Brust

Defeats Quotes

There is much to justify Turkey's reverence for Ataturk. He is the force that allowed Turkey to rise from the ashes of defeat and emerge as a vibrant new nation.

Quotes by Stephen Kinzer

Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, said that Republicans' number one priority was the defeat of President Obama.

Quotes by Steny Hoyer

I want the American people to understand, we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat Al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Quotes by Stanley A. McChrystal

We've had to handle defeat many times, and you can't drawn any conclusions.

Quotes by Sergio Ramos

History will eventually depict as legitimate the efforts of the Iraqi resistance to destabilise and defeat the American occupation forces and their imposed Iraqi collaborationist government.

Quotes by Scott Ritter

Loss Quotes

The mark of a great player is in his ability to come back. The great champions have all come back from defeat.

Quotes by Sam Snead

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of quotes are collected on this Defeat page?
This collection gathers quotes about defeat across war, competition, and personal struggle, from blunt historical assessments to short reflections on how loss feels. It's grounded in real statements about specific conflicts as well as more universal lines. For the flip side of the same coin, see Loss.
Why do people search for quotes about defeat?
Readers often look for defeat quotes when they're processing a setback of their own and want language that acknowledges how much it hurts without sugarcoating it. Others are researching historical or political framing of failure, since several quotes here reference real conflicts. It's a topic people return to for both emotional and factual context, alongside Defeated.
Are the quotes referencing Iraq and Vietnam meant to take a political side?
No — those quotes are historical statements reflecting how each conflict was assessed at the time, included here as factual references rather than endorsements of any position. They sit alongside a quote about post-9/11 successes against terrorist groups to show that defeat and success are often discussed in the same breath. The page presents them neutrally, as part of the historical record.
Is there a short, simple quote here for something like a caption?
Yes — the line noting that every defeat hurts is about as direct as it gets, and its brevity makes it easy to use as a caption or a starting point for a longer reflection. It works because it doesn't try to explain defeat away, just names the feeling. That plainness is part of why short quotes like this get shared so often.
What's the value in reading a whole page of defeat quotes rather than just one?
Together, these quotes show defeat from several angles — military, competitive, and personal — which can help you find language that matches your own situation more precisely. Seeing how differently people have described the same feeling also makes the topic feel less isolating. For quotes about pushing past setbacks, Defeating and Defeats offer a related angle.

For quotes that sit alongside this theme, see our Loss quotes, or browse related reflections in our Defeated quotes collection.