beat 1 of 3

verb

ˈbēt How to pronounce beat (audio)
Definition of beatnext
1
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly they attacked and beat him, but fortunately he'll be fine

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2
as in to defeat
to achieve a victory over she always beats everyone at checkers, but she's not as good at chess

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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

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4
as in to throb
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner the patient's heart beats roughly 60 times per minute

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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

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6
as in to frustrate
to prevent from achieving a goal you beat me to it

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in to draw
to shape with a hammer the medieval artisans who beat iron into exquisite swords

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8
as in to glow
to shine with a bright harsh light the tropical sun beat down on our heads without mercy

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9
as in to drum
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically beat the drum in a marching rhythm

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10
as in to confuse
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty it beats me how that slipup happened

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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

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12
as in to grind
to reduce to fine particles years of pounding had beaten the pebbles to a fine dust

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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

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beat

2 of 3

noun

1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument delivered one hard beat on the drums

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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

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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

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

beat

3 of 3

adjective

as in tired
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness can we pick this up tomorrow, because I'm beat?

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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
Verb
The story takes place at a time when young British musicians were mixing Punjabi beats with modern, bass-heavy production. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Nov. 2026 Authorities sentenced Pike to death after she was convicted of luring Slemmer to her death with two others then beating and slashing her with a box cutter. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2026
Noun
With emergency petitions divided up among the nine Justices according to region, Justice Kagan has the West Coast beat. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 2 Nov. 2026 Laundry still isn’t my preferred vacation activity, but a little hand-washing beats packing two weeks’ worth of everything. — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 31 Oct. 2026
Adjective
Identifying the problems that plague a team is part of a beat writer’s job. — Levi Weaver, New York Times, 28 May 2026 Since joining the publication, O’Connell had been on THR’s television team, where his role evolved from beat reporter to features TV editor. — Thr Staff, HollywoodReporter, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for beat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beat
  1. lick
  2. defeat
  3. surpass
  4. throb
  5. flutter
  6. frustrate
  7. draw
  8. glow
Verb
  • Unfortunately for us, those tenants have evolved a sticky knack for evading eviction, creating a webbing known as biofilm that prevents them from being easily licked or swallowed away.
    — Mike McRae, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026
  • That’s not exactly chump change, considering Atlanta was still licking its wounds after the Great Depression.
    — Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • Even before gaining overnight climate control, the 242-hp California eHybrid 4Motion was an easy favorite among all California powertrain options because of that efficient, range anxiety-defeating gas-electric capability.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
  • It got scuttled by courts in Missouri and then firmly defeated by its voters Tuesday.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of defeat
Verb
  • Job growth surpassed expectations in October, new data showed Friday, with the US economy adding 165,000 jobs.
    — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026
  • But Yamazaki’s new Godzilla Minus Zero doesn’t so much try to surpass its predecessor as to cap it like a protective bookend.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of surpass
Verb
  • Astaire is the world's foremost exponent of that particular variety of heart throb!
    — David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Her voice, usually an attention-demanding force, is detached from the throbbing production.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of throb
Verb
  • Jackson threw a lateral to wide receiver Tucker Cusano, who was supposed to throw downfield, but the ball appeared to slip out of his hand and fluttered into the air.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The big night As a photographer’s shutter clicks, Folger flutters a mascara wand over her lashes while preparing for opening night at the Elysian.
    — Meredith Maran, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of flutter
Verb
  • Miami coach Mario Cristobal was frustrated with the call after the game.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Johannesburg’s mayoral race reveals a city frustrated by years of corruption and crumbling infrastructure – and a country at a crossroad.
    — Ryan Lenora Brown, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of frustrate
Verb
  • Plus, the reception desk has surprise toys and giveaways for children to discover like paper and crayons for drawing.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Since her 2019 debut, PURGE, which drew from her experiences in the New York and Berlin rave and punk scenes, Chen has been moving toward ever-sharper contrasts between caustic drones and close-mic’d croons.
    — James Gui, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of draw
Verb
  • What's particularly interesting and endearing about this feature is that while previous implementations of the glowing logo relied on an existing screen backlight, OLED panels (which use self-emitting pixels) need no backlight.
    — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Russian media outlets later reported a blaze at Ryazan oil refinery, sharing pictures of plumes of smoke and the night sky glowing red.
    — Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of glow

Phrases Containing beat

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beasts
beat
beat a retreat
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Cite this Entry

“Beat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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