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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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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
Bill Belichick and North Carolina were beating one of their conference's marquee opponents. — ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026 That notion reached its pinnacle after the Chiefs beat the Bills 32-29 in the AFC Championship Game but was punctured by their 40-22 clobbering at the hands of the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX. — Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
Noun
In this, a lot of the heavy lifting is done, and all three artists are left to ride the smooth beat. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026 In July, the company posted an earnings and revenue beat for its second quarter. — Michelle Fox, CNBC, 21 Sep. 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
  • In the post, Wouter was pictured wearing a dog cone, which is used to prevent pets from licking, chewing or scratching surgical sites or wounds.
    — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Baldwin’s post featured a video of the dog licking a cherry ice pop and looking at the rain.
    — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • It’s been around forever, packs a punch, and helped us defeat the Nazis in World War II.
    — John B. Snow, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Florida’s new law is a compromise that the industry, which defeated other legislative efforts previously, can live with comfortably.
    — Mike Ryan, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of defeat
Verb
  • Since August 2025, the buses have helped 169 people find housing, putting the program on track to surpass its goal.
    — Michael Cuglietta, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026
  • This marks the third time that Universal has surpassed $5 billion globally, with the most recent coming in 2017.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of surpass
Verb
  • Her voice, usually an attention-demanding force, is detached from the throbbing production.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Just two days later, Aitia was sitting in class when his newly pierced ear began throbbing with pain.
    — Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of throb
Verb
  • The dress included a long train, which trailed the actress on the arrival carpet, and was further augmented by a shoulder ornament of fabric that transitioned from fluttering waves to delicate tassels.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Tribute upon floral tribute—their petals, leaves, and memorial cards fluttering in the gentle breeze.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of flutter
Verb
  • Some in Namatsokha, Nabutsilili's village, recalled a recent incident when work at a construction site was frustrated by persistent rain only at the scene.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
  • What comes next When the council publicly revisited the issue last week — for the first time in months — they were frustrated.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of frustrate
Verb
  • Some expedition lines turn their nose at these types of shows, but Ponant’s theater fills for events like a Beatles tribute; near-daily lessons from the dancers also draw an audience.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • This is on top of Perez Hilton and plenty of other sites (Gawker included) that would just flat-out insult people, draw nasty things on their pictures, and just generally malign them.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of draw
Verb
  • Local baking star Colossus Bread has expanded to a full restaurant setting right by the waterfront, earning a glowing Times review.
    — Daniel Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The tool relies on a soluble liquid substitute that glows during the reaction, reducing measurement times to minutes and enabling rapid evaluation of large libraries of enzyme variants.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 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 26 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on beat

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about beat

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