1
as in pulse
a rhythmic expanding and contracting
he wears a pacemaker to help maintain a regular beating of his heart
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in defeat
failure to win a contest
took a beating and ended up in second place
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pounding
to strike repeatedly
they attacked and beat him, but fortunately he'll be fine
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in defeating
to achieve a victory over
she always beats everyone at checkers, but she's not as good at chess
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in exceeding
to be greater, better, or stronger than
this new animated feature sure beats everything else that's ever been done in animation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in throbbing
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner
the patient's heart beats roughly 60 times per minute
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in flapping
to move or cause to move with a striking motion
the bird's wings beat strongly as it soared in the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in frustrating
to prevent from achieving a goal
you beat me to it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in drawing
to shape with a hammer
the medieval artisans who beat iron into exquisite swords
Synonyms & Similar Words
8
as in burning
to shine with a bright harsh light
the tropical sun beat down on our heads without mercy
Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in tapping
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically
beat the drum in a marching rhythm
Synonyms & Similar Words
10
as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
it beats me how that slipup happened
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in circumventing
to avoid having to comply with (something) especially through cleverness
he spends all of his time trying to beat the system
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
12
as in grinding
to reduce to fine particles
years of pounding had beaten the pebbles to a fine dust
Synonyms & Similar Words
13
as in cheating
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
the screenwriter has filed a lawsuit, accusing the production company of beating him out of his share of the film's net profits
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of beating
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
Chen oversaw 10 of these compounds, authorizing beatings and violence to keep the workers in line, the feds allege.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Pflugerville is in second after beating Connally 68-6 while Weiss is in third after beating Elgin Friday night 66-27 and Georgetown is fourth after a 62-32 Friday win over East View.
—Butch Hart, Austin American Statesman, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for beating
Noun
Later that month, another jury said Rafael Andres should be sent back to Florida’s Death Row for beating, stabbing and strangling a La Carreta waitress with a rice cooker cord in 2005.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2026
Chen oversaw 10 of these compounds, authorizing beatings and violence to keep the workers in line, the feds allege.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
Yamagami’s brother pleaded with her to leave the religion and fought with her endlessly, sometimes beating her.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Pflugerville is in second after beating Connally 68-6 while Weiss is in third after beating Elgin Friday night 66-27 and Georgetown is fourth after a 62-32 Friday win over East View.
—Butch Hart, Austin American Statesman, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for beating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beating
Noun
-
To put it simply, LED treatment works by emitting infrared light pulses that penetrate beyond the superficial layer of the skin.—
Tamim Alnuweiri,
InStyle,
20 Jan. 2026
-
And Bob Chesney, along with offensive line coach and running game coordinator Chris Smith (also from James Madison), will have their opportunity to set a Big Ten pulse through the five up front.—
Benjamin Royer,
Daily News,
20 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
They are expected to hire former Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel as their offensive coordinator after firing Greg Roman two days after their second straight wild-card defeat.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
23 Jan. 2026
-
By the end of the game, Shell's North Carolina A&T men's basketball team would suffer a huge halftime deficit and an eventual 84-58 defeat.—
Scott MacFarlane,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Tackling themes of free will, the slippery slope of police surveillance, and more, the film raises potent questions on our technological future while also delivering as a pulse-pounding thriller.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Jan. 2026
-
Tense police dramas, heart-pounding spy thrillers and a glorious return to The Seven Kingdoms all await your viewing pleasure this January weekend.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Dirksen was elected to the Senate in 1950, defeating Scott Lucas, the incumbent Democrat and Senate majority leader.—
John T. Shaw,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
-
McBeth had a successful week for Saratoga, defeating her 11th-grade opponent from MacDonald High 13-1 on Tuesday.—
Christian Babcock,
Mercury News,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Largest Vehicle Segment The R1T pickup and R1S SUV have received widespread praise for their quality and performance, yet their price points exceeding $70,000 limit Rivian's market reach to a small segment.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
-
This is enough to reach speeds exceeding Mach 5.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That’s why my leg is throbbing.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Jan. 2026
-
The book club regularly meets to discuss romance novels in all their sticky, sweaty, throbbing passions.—
Maddie Connors,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The team also discovered that rays using undulatory, wave-like swimming had better ground clearance than those with purely oscillatory, flapping motions.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
-
For example, malware could send commands to rapidly open and close circuit breakers, a technique known as flapping.—
Saman Zonouz,
The Conversation,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Mack and the Chargers’ defense pressured quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, frustrating them and keeping them out of their comfort zones.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
20 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beating. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
