drumbeat

noun drum·beat \ ˈdrəm-ˌbēt \

Definition of drumbeat

1 :a stroke on a drum or its sound; also :a series of such strokes

2 :vociferous advocacy of a cause

3 :drumfire 2

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drumbeater

play \-ˌbē-tər\ noun

—

drumbeating

play \-tiŋ\ noun

See drumbeat defined for English-language learners

See drumbeat defined for kids

Examples of drumbeat in a Sentence

I could hear the drumbeat of a parade down the street.
a dizzying drumbeat of interviews in the hours following her winning of the Academy Award

Recent Examples of drumbeat from the Web

The drumbeat will roll with every team facing a quarterback issue until Kaepernick is signed.

— andrew brandt, SI.com, "Roger Goodell Maintains Status as 'Conduct Commissioner' with Ezekiel Elliott's Suspension," 23 Aug. 2017
The real world is full of big questions and odd surprises and the incessant drumbeats of time and money and strain.

— charles c. w. cooke, National Review, "Magnificent Thrill Machines," 16 Aug. 2017
But this piling-on of fear factors, the rising drumbeat of threats and dangers and enemies from every corner of the world, including at home, isn't a mistake or a coincidence.

— jack holmes, Esquire, "The President's Favorite TV Show Has a Message: Be Afraid," 9 Aug. 2017
Executives of several more companies including Uber, Neiman Marcus and TPG have joined the growing drumbeat of business opposition to the Texas transgender bathroom bill.

— joshua fechter, star-telegram, "Uber, Neiman Marcus, TPG join opposition to bathroom bill," 3 Aug. 2017
Quite frankly, for the last 25 years, that’s been the drumbeat beneath the melody playing inside the monarchy, to skip a generation.

— megan friedman, Harper's BAZAAR, "7 Things You Didn’t Know About Princess Diana, According to Her Biographer," 28 July 2017
For some, the steady drumbeat of Russia revelations echoes how the Watergate story emerged in one Washington Post story after another.

— Washington Post, "Analysis: Slow leak of Russia news flooding White House," 15 July 2017
Reports on violent crime in Kansas City often take on the sound of a familiar drumbeat: Homicides are rising, shootings are up.

— kelsey ryan and ian cummings, kansascity.com, "Crime statistics reveal Kansas City’s disturbing homicide trend," 2 July 2017
Steven Souza, OF, Rays Logan Morrison is finally owned in more than 50% of leagues, but the drumbeat goes on in Tampa for Souza.

— michael beller, SI.com, "Wilson Ramos is back from an ACL tear, bringing light to a fantasy blackhole at catcher," 24 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'drumbeat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of drumbeat

1817

drumbeat Synonyms

Synonyms

blitz, blitzkrieg, bombardment, cannonade, barrage, drumfire, flurry, fusillade, hail, salvo, shower, storm, volley

Related Words

broadside, earful; avalanche, burst, cataclysm, cataract, deluge, discharge, engulfment, flood, flood tide, flush, gush, inundation, outburst, outflow, outpouring, overflow, rash, spate, surge, torrent; current, river, stream, tide; excess, glut, overabundance, overage, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus

Near Antonyms

dribble, drip, trickle

DRUMBEAT Defined for English Language Learners

drumbeat

noun

Definition of drumbeat for English Language Learners

: the sound made by beating a drum

Learn More about drumbeat

See words that rhyme with drumbeat Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for drumbeat Nglish: Translation of drumbeat for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of drumbeat for Arabic speakers

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drumbeat

Definition of drumbeat

drumbeater

drumbeating

Examples of drumbeat in a Sentence

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drumbeat Synonyms

Synonyms

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DRUMBEAT Defined for English Language Learners

drumbeat

Definition of drumbeat for English Language Learners

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drumbeat

Definition of drumbeat

drumbeater

drumbeating

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DRUMBEAT Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of drumbeat for English Language Learners

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