: a steady pronounced rhythm stressing the second and fourth beats of a four-beat measure
Examples of backbeat in a Sentence
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By adding an unrelenting backbeat, punching up the guitars and horns and funkifying the drums, the electronic overhaul transformed a throwaway tune recorded for a minor Presley movie into a 21st century global smash, catching fire in dance clubs and reaching No. 1 in over 20 countries.
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David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026
Working with longtime partner bassist Robbie Shakespeare (who died in 2021), Dunbar was one half of the dynamic duo that provided the thrumming backbeat to reggae classics from the likes of Black Uhuru, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, Bunny Wailer, Gregory Isaacs and countless others.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 26 Jan. 2026
Sly Dunbar, the legendary Jamaican drummer who helped steer reggae‘s modern evolution while providing the backbeat to countless recordings, has died.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2026
The album started with quiet wind and then turned into a tornado of thunder and sirens, swordplay and gunfire over big horns and a funky soul backbeat.
—Film Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2026
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David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026
Working with longtime partner bassist Robbie Shakespeare (who died in 2021), Dunbar was one half of the dynamic duo that provided the thrumming backbeat to reggae classics from the likes of Black Uhuru, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, Bunny Wailer, Gregory Isaacs and countless others.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 26 Jan. 2026
Sly Dunbar, the legendary Jamaican drummer who helped steer reggae‘s modern evolution while providing the backbeat to countless recordings, has died.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2026
The album started with quiet wind and then turned into a tornado of thunder and sirens, swordplay and gunfire over big horns and a funky soul backbeat.
—Film Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for backbeat
Cite this Entry
“Backbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backbeat. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
backbeat
noun
back·beat
-ˌbēt 
: a steady pronounced rhythm stressing the second and fourth beats of a four-beat measure
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