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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of beat
Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 9 June 2026
Anderson told the outlet that Guidera collapsed at their Southern California home on May 11 after his heart stopped beating.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 9 June 2026
Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 3 June 2026
Half a day walking, sitting and eating beats a checklist.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 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
If you're headed to the beach to beat the heat, there is a moderate risk of rip currents, and the UV index will be very high.
—Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 9 June 2026
Anderson told the outlet that Guidera collapsed at their Southern California home on May 11 after his heart stopped beating.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 9 June 2026
Noun
This glitzy new take comes from a trio — Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen providing the music and Kait Kerrigan the book — who largely follow the main beats of the novel.
—Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 3 June 2026
Half a day walking, sitting and eating beats a checklist.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 3 June 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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When the tiffin is returned licked clean, Ila sends another meal but with a note, leading to a rich correspondence between the two.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
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Just outside the room, Hadley eagerly licked it up.—
Laura Ungar,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
Verb
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The food, beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, and agribusiness lobbies do not need to defeat MAHA in public debate.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
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But environmentalists and other stakeholders said giving too many concessions to fossil fuel interests would defeat the program’s purpose, which is to drive down emissions along a pathway consistent with what scientists say could preserve a recognizable climate.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Seven decades later that number has climbed to seventy-three, while those in the richest nations have surpassed an average of over fourscore years, a number the Bible reserves for only the most vigorous among us.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
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In the meantime, there is a World Cup to win and Os Magricos to surpass.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
10 June 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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Anderson said the warmth helps calm them down stops their eyes from fluttering.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
29 May 2026
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Advertisement Crossing an overpass into my western suburb of Baghdad, militia flags stamped with Ali Khamenei’s face fluttered in the wind.—
Nabil Salih,
Time,
26 May 2026
Verb
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Councilmember Nithya Raman on Wednesday cast the November mayoral runoff as a choice between change and the status quo, arguing that Los Angeles voters are frustrated with City Hall and ready for new leadership.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
11 June 2026
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His futile dreams of Mexico were not a metaphor for a life frustrated by unresolved dreams.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Verb
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They’re connected by a free three-and-a-half-mile coastal trail known as the Cliff Walk—one of the biggest tourist draws to America’s smallest state.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
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Putin has repeatedly drawn a direct connection between Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.—
Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
Verb
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At Palisades State Park, striking red-pink Sioux quartzite cliffs jut up to 50 feet above Split Rock Creek, their jagged faces almost glowing against a backdrop of bucolic farmland.—
Taryn Shorr-Mckee,
Midwest Living,
4 June 2026
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Although the building is gray and the galleries dark, the contents glow.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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