beat (someone) to the punch
idiom
: to do or achieve something before someone else is able to
We were working on a new product but before we could get it into the market our competition beat us to the punch.
Examples of beat (someone) to the punch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
We got beat to the punch by every other trading nation.
—
Eben Shapiro, Time, 22 Aug. 2021
After being beat to the punch by an anonymous leak of the teaser, Amazon Studios released its first official trailer of Cinderella on Wednesday, June 30.
—Ineye Komonibo, refinery29.com, 5 July 2021
He was constantly getting beat to the punch, thanks to the timing of the vet.
—J.l. Kirven, Detroit Free Press, 28 Feb. 2021
He was getting beat to the punch and was behind on all three scorecards.
—John Whisler, ExpressNews.com, 24 June 2020
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.
Eben Shapiro, Time, 22 Aug. 2021
After being beat to the punch by an anonymous leak of the teaser, Amazon Studios released its first official trailer of Cinderella on Wednesday, June 30.
—Ineye Komonibo, refinery29.com, 5 July 2021
He was constantly getting beat to the punch, thanks to the timing of the vet.
—J.l. Kirven, Detroit Free Press, 28 Feb. 2021
He was getting beat to the punch and was behind on all three scorecards.
—John Whisler, ExpressNews.com, 24 June 2020
Cite this Entry
“Beat (someone) to the punch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beat%20%28someone%29%20to%20the%20punch. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share