take a beating
idiom
: to be beaten badly in a game or contest
The team took a beating in last night's game.
—often used figuratively to suggest a setback or lossOur plans took a real beating from the review committee.
Many investors took quite a (bad) beating when the stock market crashed.
Examples of take a beating in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Neighborhood roads take a beating from excess heavy truck traffic, and the resulting emissions inflict an environmental toll.
—
Connor Giffin, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Oct. 2025
My concern is going to be, moving forward, can Aaron take a beating like that every week?
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
In fact, fundamentals take a back seat when investors get spooked by the outlook, and even great stocks can take a beating.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
These pans can take a beating, but some people avoid aluminum for potential health concerns.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take a beating
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.
Connor Giffin, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Oct. 2025
My concern is going to be, moving forward, can Aaron take a beating like that every week?
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
In fact, fundamentals take a back seat when investors get spooked by the outlook, and even great stocks can take a beating.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
These pans can take a beating, but some people avoid aluminum for potential health concerns.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for take a beating
Cite this Entry
“Take a beating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20a%20beating. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share