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.
Then came a 26-0 beatdown to an 0-3 Texans team. Zak Keefer, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025 The unofficial menu at the Gilbert In-N-Out Burger for three years came with sides of beatdowns, gang attacks and teen violence. Robert Anglen, AZCentral.com, 24 Sep. 2025 After a close battle against Clemson on the road to open the season, the Tigers went on a run that included a 56-10 beatdown on Southeastern Louisiana last week after beating the Florida Gators, 20-10. Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2025 Discussing the most shocking Week 3 result on FS1’s Wake Up Barstool with Dave Portnoy, both Olsen and Jon Gruden, the former NFL coach and Barstool Sports personality, pointed to Carolina’s beatdown of its NFC South division rival in Charlotte. Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 22 Sep. 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

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Cite this Entry

“Beatdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beatdown. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

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