overcome obstacles; defeat opponents and advance
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesverb phrase
overcome obstacles one by one; defeat all opponents
Originally from the story of Guan Yu in 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'. Used to describe winning successive matches or clearing successive hurdles.
This team overcame every opponent in the tournament and ultimately won the championship.
He defeated one opponent after another in the programming competition and made it to the finals.
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This project is very difficult; we need the determination to overcome every obstacle.
verb phrase
overcome difficulties step by step; successfully navigate challenges
This meaning extends the metaphor from defeating literal opponents to overcoming non-personal challenges and obstacles in life or work.
The R&D process for the new product is a continuous process of overcoming one challenge after another.
He overcame numerous difficulties in his career and finally became a company executive.