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
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
Pete Hammond, Deadline, 9 June 2026
As her third year gets underway, Clark has had to contend with distractions, including rumors of a rift with head coach Stephanie White and an injury-report incident in which a Fever beat reporter’s credentials were revoked.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 9 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
O’Connor matches her beat for beat as the man who knew too much and knows the only way out of his head is to get it to every living person on the planet all at once.
—Pete Hammond, Deadline, 9 June 2026
As her third year gets underway, Clark has had to contend with distractions, including rumors of a rift with head coach Stephanie White and an injury-report incident in which a Fever beat reporter’s credentials were revoked.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 9 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
-
Chalk it up to a bad match, and lick your wounds.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
-
Affected animals transfer rabies by biting, licking or scratching other animals and humans.—
Laura Horne,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The food, beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, and agribusiness lobbies do not need to defeat MAHA in public debate.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
-
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
-
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
-
In the meantime, there is a World Cup to win and Os Magricos to surpass.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
My calves and thighs often throbbed, my waist ached and my knees swelled.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
The piece has to throb and, well, that is not the first verb that comes to mind in director Jonathan Butterell’s production, with all due respect for the sincerity of the effort and the intermittent effectiveness of the storytelling.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
Verb
-
Anderson said the warmth helps calm them down stops their eyes from fluttering.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
29 May 2026
-
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
-
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
-
His futile dreams of Mexico were not a metaphor for a life frustrated by unresolved dreams.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
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
-
The glowing green letters emerge ominously against a dark backdrop.—
M. Gessen,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
-
Pedestrians swerve between packs of police, horns honk at teenagers blocking the street, neon restaurant signs glow.—
Taylor Swinton,
Washington Post,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
