"Against the clock" means doing something in a great hurry, as fast as possible, because there is very little time available; essentially, "racing against time.".
The correct idiom to replace "completely defeated" is: "Root and branch."
The idiom "root and branch" means to destroy or eliminate something, leaving no part remaining
"Spick and span" means extremely neat, clean, and often new or fresh
The idiom "to take exception to" means to object to something strongly, to disagree with it, or to feel offended by it
The idiom "Lock, stock and barrel" means including all or every part of something.
The idiom "Lock, stock and barrel" means سب کچھ یا سارا کا سارا
The phrase "a donkey’s year" refers to a very long time.
It indicating that it has been a significant period since the last meeting.
The meaning of the idiom 'To put one's hand to the plough' is to start a task or to begin with something that might be difficult.