Synonyms of beat
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as in to lick
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as in to defeat
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as in to surpass
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as in to throb
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as in to flutter
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as in to frustrate
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as in to draw
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as in to glow
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as in to drum
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as in to confuse
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as in to circumvent
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as in to grind
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as in to cheat
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as in blow
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as in pulse
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as in rhythm
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as in minute
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as in tired
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Example Sentences
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Phrases Containing
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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
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Recent Examples of beat
Todd Spangler, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Marie Müller and Sophia Wilson both scored as Portland beat the Wave 2-0 in front of 19,806 fans at Providence Park to overtake San Diego atop the NWSL standings.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 May 2026
His knuckles tapped an agitated beat on the steering wheel along to soft jazz playing on the radio.
—‘pemi Aguda, Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Those who were laid off include Caroline O’Donovan, the Post’s beat reporter covering Amazon.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for beat
Verb
In the quarter, iPhone sales jumped 22% — to $57.99 billion, a March quarter record, also handily beating Wall Street forecasts.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
Marie Müller and Sophia Wilson both scored as Portland beat the Wave 2-0 in front of 19,806 fans at Providence Park to overtake San Diego atop the NWSL standings.
—Ryan Finley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
Sure, the fight itself is visually choppy and barely supported by the underdeveloped beats that get us there.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 6 May 2026
His knuckles tapped an agitated beat on the steering wheel along to soft jazz playing on the radio.
—‘pemi Aguda, Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
Adjective
Bass began his career as a beat reporter covering feature stories through the mid-80s.
—Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2026
Those who were laid off include Caroline O’Donovan, the Post’s beat reporter covering Amazon.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for beat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beat
Verb
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Gilgeous-Alexander licked his chops at what Game 1 presented.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
6 May 2026
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But host Kristen Kish is licking her lips at the prospect of taking the show even further afield in the future.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Nico Santonastaso struck out 10 and allowed two earned runs over seven innings, and Jack Thompson registered three hits and an RBI as Mystic Valley defeated Minuteman, 10-5.—
Tyler McManus,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
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Josiah Rodriguez was 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and four RBIs and Mason Cook hit a two-run home run as PLNU defeated Concordia 9-1 in Santa Barbara to complete a three-game tournament sweep.—
Bill Center,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Centering on five boyhood friends reuniting after the death of their beloved basketball coach, director Dennis Dugan‘s film surpassed $270 million at the global box office.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
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The national debt has surpassed the GDP, Social Security and Medicare face looming financial crises, inflation is rising, families are struggling — and yet Congress does nothing.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2026
Verb
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The collection consists of the sneaker brand’s UNO sneakers (which, PSA, are a fab Nike Air Max alternative), Arch Fit, and Slip-Ins—all of which include some of the most impressive cushioning and support, so your feet won’t throb after standing for hours in a field.—
Jessie Quinn,
StyleCaster,
19 Mar. 2026
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The smoke kept rising and the clouds continued to throb with sickly yellow-and-black whorls until just after sunset, when the boiling mass of vapor suddenly turned pink and scarlet, like a poisonous flower opening its petals.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Homemade fan art of Jacks, the series’s love interest, fluttered out of a collector’s-edition case.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Iran’s flag before the 1979 revolution — green, white and red with a lion and a rising sun — flutters from many overhangs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
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As mentioned, lounges are often overcrowded, and taking up more than your fair share of space can frustrate fellow travelers.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2026
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Prices are rising at a time when Americans are already frustrated by the high cost of living.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Friends of the Skyway drew 500 members in its first 10 weeks.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
10 May 2026
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The Taurus Sun harmonizes with Jupiter in your 11th House of Friendship, drawing support for bigger plans through allies, networks, and shared insight.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
Verb
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However, in the wild, the algae are the ocean’s introverts, and only glow when they are bothered, like jolted by a crashing wave or the hull of a passing boat.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 May 2026
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There’s an amulet (one of those glowing doohickeys the fate of the cosmos hangs on), and your heart may sink every time someone starts chattering about it.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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