beatdown

noun

beat·​down ˈbēt-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce beatdown (audio)
1
US, informal : a violent physical beating
… said his own client was badly hurt in a beatdown by NYPD officers …Shayna Jacobs
2
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

Examples of beatdown in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Young ended up 13-for-30 for 161 yards, took four sacks and had two interceptions in a 47-10 beatdown bestowed by the New Orleans Saints (who would end the season 5-12). Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2025 Mahomes has played in 133 games in the regular season and playoffs and had never absorbed a similar beatdown. Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2025 In the early morning hours of July 26, a confrontation outside the LoVe nightclub, located on the corner of Fourth and Elm Street in the city's downtown business district, led to a horrific beatdown that was captured on video. FOXNews.com, 30 Aug. 2025 And the most unexpected thing about it may well be the fact that this unassuming little romantic comedy contains the beatdown of the year. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beatdown

Word History

First Known Use

1989, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beatdown was in 1989

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beatdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beatdown. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!