beat 1 of 3

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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beat

2 of 3

noun

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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

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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

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beat

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adjective

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 goal was no longer avoiding mistakes or beating the other team. Yann Dang, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026 Here are the three fruits that managed to beat it. Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 June 2026
Noun
Analysts not only expect the stock to rebound into earnings next month, but said that the aerospace and defense conglomerate is more likely to deliver a beat-and-raise quarter than its peers. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 17 June 2026 Ever see a musician extracting freaky beats from a drum of vibrating milk while surrounded by thousands of funerary urns? John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 17 June 2026
Adjective
He has twice been named one of the top 10 beat writers in the country by the AP Sports Editors. Staff Writter, Dallas Morning News, 10 Apr. 2026 This recipe brings together meat and vegetables in a can't-be-beat cold-weather go-to. Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beat
Verb
  • Bring along a friend who wouldn’t be able to indulge in these kinds of finger-licking treats otherwise.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 June 2026
  • The image of the students as vivisectors, committed to extracting the hearts and licking the bones of the transgressors in their midst, seems to mirror her own hatred of the university’s tendency toward frenzied analysis.
    Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • And the resounding manner of Burnham’s win – comprehensively defeating Reform weeks after Labour was routed in local elections – gives him considerable momentum too.
    Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 20 June 2026
  • Scotland, which defeated Haiti 1-0 on the same field last Friday, likely would need to beat or draw Brazil in its group-stage finale in Miami to qualify for the Round of 32.
    Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 20 June 2026
Verb
  • Gas and diesel prices didn’t surpass their 2022 highs.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 25 June 2026
  • Since her passing, Sonoma County experienced the most destructive wildfires in California history in 2017, only for another, more destructive fire to surpass it a year later.
    Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 24 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
  • Since most butterflies live a short time, fluttering between colorful flowers for a few weeks before dying, a few rare exceptions have stumped scientists.
    Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 19 June 2026
  • Dozens of butterflies, likely variable checkerspots with hints of yellow and red on their wings, fluttered all around.
    Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
Verb
  • Trump’s rogue moves have frustrated Thune’s party regularly over the past two months.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 24 June 2026
  • David Rubenstein, the son of a Baltimore postal worker, was frustrated in a Washington law firm when he was both inspired by a wildly successful leveraged buyout and unnerved by a book that claimed the odds of successfully starting a company plummets after 37.
    Diane Brady, Fortune, 24 June 2026
Verb
  • The new Northwestern Mutual findings, released in April, draw from surveys of 4,375 adults in January.
    Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 21 June 2026
  • The parade and street festival are held every June, drawing crowds of between 20,000 and 30,000 residents and families.
    Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 21 June 2026
Verb
  • In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, wildlife biologist Forrest Galante embarks on a nationwide quest to find the nation’s most bizarre and dangerous alien sharks – from glowing swell sharks to elusive sawfish – proving the ultimate shark adventure is right here at home.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 18 June 2026
  • The speakeasy-style room glows with a gold-leaf ceiling, ochre velvet sofas, and an extravagant cocktail menu.
    Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Beat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.

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