beatdown
noun
beat·down
ˈbēt-ˌdau̇n 
1
US, informal
: a violent physical beating
… said his own client was badly hurt in a beatdown by NYPD officers …—
Shayna Jacobs
Shayna Jacobs2
US, informal
: an emphatic or overwhelming defeat
… he was sitting in his Eugene hotel room, … while absorbing a beatdown in PlayStation 3 boxing from his 10-year-old brother Seth.—Tim Layden
Tim Layden
Examples of beatdown in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But the appearance of Gaten Matarazzo from Stranger Things doesn’t pay off in comic terms, and won’t erase anyone’s memories of Bob Barker giving Sandler a vicious beatdown in Happy Gilmore.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Nov. 2023
After all those beatdowns over the years, the Bills are going to exact some revenge.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2023
And his leftist managers are no doubt appalled and stumped at Bidens forceful beatdown of Hamas and support of Israel.
—Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 30 Oct. 2023
Defensive woes threaten to derail USC’s title aspirations BOXING
From Jorge Castillo: The first question Canelo Álvarez was asked in his news conference after his beatdown of Jermell Charlo on Saturday wasn’t about the victory.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2023
What Barker had given him 27 years earlier was a brutal beatdown that would echo through the decades.
—Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2023
Dallas is coming off a physical beatdown by the Niners.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2023
Chauncey Sylvester scored on a nine-yard run with 2:49 left to complete a thorough, stunning beatdown of the Monarchs.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2023
But in a Game 1 beatdown, the rest of the Chicago Sky were not.
—Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2023
See More
Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Nov. 2023
After all those beatdowns over the years, the Bills are going to exact some revenge.
—Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2023
And his leftist managers are no doubt appalled and stumped at Bidens forceful beatdown of Hamas and support of Israel.
—Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 30 Oct. 2023
Defensive woes threaten to derail USC’s title aspirations BOXING
From Jorge Castillo: The first question Canelo Álvarez was asked in his news conference after his beatdown of Jermell Charlo on Saturday wasn’t about the victory.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2023
What Barker had given him 27 years earlier was a brutal beatdown that would echo through the decades.
—Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2023
Dallas is coming off a physical beatdown by the Niners.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2023
Chauncey Sylvester scored on a nine-yard run with 2:49 left to complete a thorough, stunning beatdown of the Monarchs.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2023
But in a Game 1 beatdown, the rest of the Chicago Sky were not.
—Chicago Tribune Staff, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beatdown.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1989, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Articles Related to beatdown
Dictionary Entries Near beatdown
Cite this Entry
“Beatdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beatdown. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share