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
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That title still belongs to a 133-77 beatdown at the hands of the Boston Celtics that occurred in December 2018. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026 The game went from a Bronx beatdown to a rumble with UCONN on top. Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2026 The beatdown started with a low crawl up King’s steep gravel driveway. Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026 With the Boston Celtics in town, undoubtedly still smarting from the beatdown the Charlotte Hornets put on them earlier this month, the stage was set for another meaningful game in uptown. Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beatdown

Word History

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beatdown was in 1913

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Cite this Entry

“Beatdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beatdown. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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