attack, assail - launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with; "Hitler attacked Poland on September 1, 1939 and started World War II"; "Serbian forces assailed Bosnian towns all week"

seal off, blockade - impose a blockade on

ebb - hem in fish with stakes and nets so as to prevent them from going back into the sea with the ebb

beat, beat out, vanquish, trounce, crush, shell - come out better in a competition, race, or conflict; "Agassi beat Becker in the tennis championship"; "We beat the competition"; "Harvard defeated Yale in the last football game"

outdo, outgo, outmatch, outperform, outstrip, surpass, exceed, surmount - be or do something to a greater degree; "her performance surpasses that of any other student I know"; "She outdoes all other athletes"; "This exceeds all my expectations"; "This car outperforms all others in its class"

quibble - evade the truth of a point or question by raising irrelevant objections

avoid - stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something; "Her former friends now avoid her"