backbeat

noun

back·​beat ˈbak-ˌbēt How to pronounce backbeat (audio)
: a steady pronounced rhythm stressing the second and fourth beats of a four-beat measure

Examples of backbeat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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An undercurrent of violence Even as Mr. Combs rose, violence, or threats of it, were always part of the backbeat. Ben Sisario, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025 Just like the drum machine is a tool for musicians to enhance the backbeat of a song, Provenonce enhances, not replaces, the job of an individual or corporate marketing team. Larry Dvoskin, Rolling Stone, 2 May 2025 For more than 15 years, Adrian Younge has provided the backbeat for a large swath of Black entertainment — literally. Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025 My background is so much in bluegrass, and bluegrass is all about that choppy kind of backbeat thing with the mandolin. Tom Roland, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for backbeat

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of backbeat was in 1928

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Cite this Entry

“Backbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backbeat. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

backbeat

noun
back·​beat -ˌbēt How to pronounce backbeat (audio)
: a steady pronounced rhythm stressing the second and fourth beats of a four-beat measure

More from Merriam-Webster on backbeat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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