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
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Recent Examples of beat
Frank Nunns Oconnell, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Days later, the Chiefs held the Raiders to three first downs and 95 yards of offense in a 31-0 beat down.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025
Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2025
Mel Brooks’ best comedy shares many similarities with his other revered films – a strong grip of genre beats, a non-stop barrage of gags yanking us forward, and an eagerness to give every performer a chance to comedically shine.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
Maggie McGrath, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
In a miracle from the beat gods, workers on site were able to clear out the piles of debris and construct a new stage to host the fest’s headliners overnight, giving Nervo, Axwell, Martin Garrix, Alok and others a place to perform on night one.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for beat
Verb
New York’s backup quarterback was perceived to be responding to comments made by Denver head coach Payton after the Broncos’ dramatic fourth quarter comeback to beat the Giants on Sunday.
—Frank Nunns Oconnell, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Days later, the Chiefs held the Raiders to three first downs and 95 yards of offense in a 31-0 beat down.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2025
Noun
Amir Mahmoud is a general assignment and transportation beat reporter at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
—Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2025
Mel Brooks’ best comedy shares many similarities with his other revered films – a strong grip of genre beats, a non-stop barrage of gags yanking us forward, and an eagerness to give every performer a chance to comedically shine.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Those submissions—we’ve received thousands since this list first launched—are then analyzed and supplemented by reporting from beat journalists at Forbes and Know Your Value.
—Maggie McGrath, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
In a miracle from the beat gods, workers on site were able to clear out the piles of debris and construct a new stage to host the fest’s headliners overnight, giving Nervo, Axwell, Martin Garrix, Alok and others a place to perform on night one.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for beat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beat
Verb
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Collins is no doubt licking his chops studying tape of another Patriots rookie, left guard Jared Wilson, who allowed two sacks last weekend.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
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Soon, orange-red flames began to lick the wall and the roof’s open eaves.—
Ingfei Chen,
New Yorker,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Glo clearly brought good luck to the game, seeing as the Raptors defeated the Hawks 138-118.—
Elizabeth Ayoola,
Essence,
24 Oct. 2025
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In these sparsely populated spaces, the mountain always defeats the human, instilling a deep respect for the environment.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And the 39-point advantage goes down as the Heat’s biggest halftime lead in franchise history, surpassing a 34-point halftime lead against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 29, 2024.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
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At the beginning of summer, for the first time in months, my daily step count surpassed a mile.—
Lucinda Rosenfeld,
New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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That’s why my leg is throbbing.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
8 Oct. 2025
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The first movie squeaked by thanks largely to its creation of a CG parallel universe of neon graphics, geometric lines and throbbing grids that was genuinely innovative for its time.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Bolas spider creates a silk lasso to catch fluttering moths.—
Kate Siber,
Outside,
21 Oct. 2025
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Novo Nordisk flags flutter outside their office in Bagsvaerd, on the outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark, July 14, 2025.—
Annika Kim Constantino,Bertha Coombs,
CNBC,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Faye is both highly supportive yet frustrated by the distant Springsteen, who showers her with love before disappearing into his music.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
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So when Luise was frustrated by her experiments with canvas one afternoon at MacDowell and threw her scraps into her studio’s fireplace, Morton was there to witness the epiphany that followed.—
Grace Edquist,
Vogue,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As Robbie's actions target stash houses run by the notorious Dark Hearts motorcycle gang, a deadly turf war erupts, escalating tensions in the city and drawing both law enforcement and criminal factions into a high-stakes battle over control, survival and justice.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
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Payton lost his mind, running onto the field, drawing a penalty.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Shaped like glowing maple leaves, the six-piece set brings all the cozy fall vibes while brightening up driveways, walkways, and garden paths.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
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The Emerald Cave glows bright green when sunlight hits the water just right.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.
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