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 second-year wideout beat a trio of defenders on a seam route to haul in a touchdown pass from backup QB Kenny Pickett. — Mike Kaye july 26, Charlotte Observer, 26 July 2026 The Yankees beat the Phillies on Saturday night, but there was some pain involved. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 26 July 2026
Noun
Songer became their go-to MC, belting out those same punchlines to sweaty clubs full of teenagers at 160 beats per minute. — Sam Davies, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2026 For much of the ’80s, Teresa Taylor (aka Teresa Nervosa) joined up as a second drummer, pounding tribal beats beside Coffey, and became a Gen-X icon after appearing in the 1990 film Slacker. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 20 July 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
  • That means no tasting cookie dough made with raw eggs, no licking brownie batter off the beaters, and no homemade Caesar dressing made with uncooked yolks.
    — Angela Haupt, Time, 23 July 2026
  • The best restaurant sauces can tempt even the most prim and proper of us to lift up our plates and lick them clean.
    — Rochelle Bilow, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 July 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • The defending men’s singles champion is Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, who defeated Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in the gold medal match in 2024; the defending women’s champion is China’s Zheng Qinwen, who defeated Croatia’s Donna Vekić.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • Drones alone cannot defeat the Russian army, and the culture of Silicon Valley cannot supplant the need for military discipline, Syrsky argued in a column for Militarnyi, a Ukrainian publication focused on defense.
    — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026
Definition of defeat
Verb
  • The runner-up finish marked Gogel’s best career result on the PGA Champions Tour, surpassing a pair of third-place finishes (2026 Dick’s Open; 2025 Constellation Furyk and Friends).
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026
  • In South Korea last year, the number of divorces among couples who had been married at least 30 years surpassed divorces among younger couples who were married less than five years – for the first time ever.
    — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 26 July 2026
Definition of surpass
Verb
  • The depression is a gritty-slick coating that constantly throbs against my thoughts and my insides.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 July 2026
  • Workers are paying for it as the people in charge mostly ignore our throbbing national headache.
    — Lizzy Lawrence, STAT, 8 July 2026
Definition of throb
Verb
  • This isn't the first time a butterfly motif has fluttered, so to speak, into Larsson's glam routine.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 6 July 2026
  • Just thinking of what his subjects, used to the continuity of antiquity, might have made of this makes the heart flutter.
    — Chandrahas Choudhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026
Definition of flutter
Verb
  • Fans are frustrated, believing the team is squandering Curry's title window, especially as former GM Bob Myers thrives with the Sixers.
    — Mark Medina, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • Joe Rodon would have been frustrated to see Bailey Cadamarteri and Sam Smith each get away from him before scoring.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 26 July 2026
Definition of frustrate
Verb
  • During a presentation on the new graduation rates data at the Board of Regents meeting last week, Regent Jose Hernandez drew attention to the contradictory nature of the data and what STEM professors were saying in public comment on the issue.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026
  • In social media posts, Wilson claimed the producers initially withheld consent to show the film at the Toronto International Film Festival to retaliate against her for drawing attention to their bad behavior.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
Definition of draw
Verb
  • No blood was visible, but one area glowed after being sprayed with Bluestar.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 24 July 2026
  • At the extreme end, weak edtech can reduce teachers to classroom monitors, passively watching students complete tasks on their glowing rectangles.
    — Richard Carranza, Forbes.com, 23 July 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 27 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on beat

Nglish: Translation of beat for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about beat

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