Synonyms of beat
-
as in to lick 
-
as in to defeat
-
as in to surpass
-
as in to throb
-
as in to flutter
-
as in to frustrate
-
as in to draw
-
as in to glow
-
as in to drum
-
as in to confuse
-
as in to circumvent
-
as in to grind
-
as in to cheat
-
as in blow
-
as in pulse
-
as in rhythm
-
as in minute
-
as in tired
-
Example Sentences
-
Phrases Containing
-
Entries Near
1
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
they attacked and beat him, but fortunately he'll be fine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to defeat
to achieve a victory over
she always beats everyone at checkers, but she's not as good at chess
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to surpass
to be greater, better, or stronger than
this new animated feature sure beats everything else that's ever been done in animation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in to flutter
to move or cause to move with a striking motion
the bird's wings beat strongly as it soared in the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in to frustrate
to prevent from achieving a goal
you beat me to it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
8
9
as in to drum
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically
beat the drum in a marching rhythm
Synonyms & Similar Words
10
as in to confuse
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
it beats me how that slipup happened
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in to circumvent
to avoid having to comply with (something) especially through cleverness
he spends all of his time trying to beat the system
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
12
13
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
the screenwriter has filed a lawsuit, accusing the production company of beating him out of his share of the film's net profits
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
delivered one hard beat on the drums
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in pulse
a rhythmic expanding and contracting
a single beat of the heart is said to be all that separates the vice president from the presidency
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in rhythm
the recurrent pattern formed by a series of sounds having a regular rise and fall in intensity
moved to the beat of the music
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in minute
a very small space of time
within a beat he was on the phone complaining about an error in his bill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in tired
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness
can we pick this up tomorrow, because I'm beat?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of beat
Nikita Ostrovsky, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
Second, don’t beat yourself up about it.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 1 Oct. 2025
Michael Saponara, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2025
Sylvester climbed in back, buds in his ears, iPod in hand, his head bobbing to some beat.
—David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Maggie McGrath, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
In a miracle from the beat gods, workers on site were able to clear out the piles of debris and construct a new stage to host the fest’s headliners overnight, giving Nervo, Axwell, Martin Garrix, Alok and others a place to perform on night one.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for beat
Verb
Evaluating performance in games such as Go is straightforward; AI was beating Go masters by 2016.
—Nikita Ostrovsky, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
Second, don’t beat yourself up about it.
—Jonny Thomson, Big Think, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
Security finally realized what was going on and apprehended the trespassing fan while Ne-Yo didn’t miss a beat of his performance.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2025
Sylvester climbed in back, buds in his ears, iPod in hand, his head bobbing to some beat.
—David Wright Faladé, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Those submissions—we’ve received thousands since this list first launched—are then analyzed and supplemented by reporting from beat journalists at Forbes and Know Your Value.
—Maggie McGrath, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
In a miracle from the beat gods, workers on site were able to clear out the piles of debris and construct a new stage to host the fest’s headliners overnight, giving Nervo, Axwell, Martin Garrix, Alok and others a place to perform on night one.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for beat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beat
Verb
-
During a bedtime conversation between Kaz and Caesar, for example, their dog keeps licking Caesar as Kaz tries to have a serious talk with him.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Posted to the account @maisythemarshmallow on September 19, the video shows the dog, named Maisy, lying calmly as the cat snuggles up and licks her face.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The junior quarterback went 5-for-8 passing with 146 yards, while adding 59 yards rushing to go with three total touchdowns as Springfield Central defeated a Catholic Conference nemesis, 28-20.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Cleopatra was born in Alexandria in 69 BC, crowned queen at the age of 18 and died in 30 BC after being defeated by Octavian, also known as Emperor Augustus and the founder of the Roman Empire, during the Battle of Actium in 31 BC.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The circle this year celebrated surpassing the $2 million mark in support of 171 initiatives and projects since its founding 23 years ago.—
Carin Schoppmeyer,
Arkansas Online,
28 Sep. 2025
-
There are a total of 28 points available over the three-day tournament, and the first national team to surpass 14 points wins.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The upper blocks throbbed and pulsed a deep blue, reflecting the pond’s windblown currents.—
Jack Korngold,
Rolling Stone,
28 Sep. 2025
-
That blue vein in her temple was really throbbing now.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Sitting at the base of the Rocky Mountains, the village is known for its year-round recreation and ubiquitous aspen trees, which make a stunning (albeit short) shift from fluttering green to bright yellow and orange with hints of red.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Councilwoman Stevens fluttered and snapped a folding fan.—
Henry Alford,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Keita notes the majority of Africa's population is under 35 years old and millions are unemployed and frustrated with the status quo.—
Emmanuel Akinwotu,
NPR,
2 Oct. 2025
-
He may be frustrated by the lack of basic defensive discipline and shape and Messi may shake his head at the incompetence behind him, but the choices made in roster construction just can’t always be compensated for by the boys from Barcelona.—
The Athletic Staff,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Since buying the property in 2013, Swift has drawn fans to Bay Street, the village's main drag of clothing boutiques and ice cream counters, all checklist items on the Swiftie itinerary.—
Bryan West,
USA Today,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The Super Bowl Halftime Show typically draws over 100 million viewers, providing unprecedented global exposure for artists and their cultural impact.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Best case is glowing reviews and great buzz buoy the film’s relevance among moviegoers for one week after another.—
J. Kim Murphy,
Variety,
27 Sep. 2025
-
In videos shared to the meteor society and to local TV outlets, the satellite’s breakup appeared dramatic but serene, moving slowly across the sky and trailing glowing fragments for several seconds.—
Daniel Hunt,
Sacbee.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share