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

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
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
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
as in to draw
to shape with a hammer the medieval artisans who beat iron into exquisite swords

Synonyms & Similar Words
8
as in to glow
to shine with a bright harsh light the tropical sun beat down on our heads without mercy

Synonyms & Similar Words
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
as in to grind
to reduce to fine particles years of pounding had beaten the pebbles to a fine dust

Synonyms & Similar Words
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

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

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

beat

3 of 3

adjective

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
Verb
The Monarchs lost to Santa Margarita 21-14 and beat Laguna Beach 21-14. — Dan Albano, Oc Register, 19 July 2026 The Warriors beat the Lakers 92-88 in the Summer League playoff semifinals after going 3-1 in the Las Vegas competition. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 19 July 2026
Noun
John Campbell scores an unprecedented sixth victory in the $1 million Meadowlands Pace as Real Desire beats favored Bettor’s Delight in the stretch. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 Last quarter, that division was one of the largest drivers of its first-quarter beat. — Hugh Son,laya Neelakandan,leslie Picker,ritika Shah, CNBC, 14 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
  • Grande licked one of them, and fans were immediately outraged by the moment.
    — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 16 July 2026
  • Some of the flames come close to licking the glass, as the wildfire blows across the tracks.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 15 July 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • Calypso had been banished to live on the island of Ogygia after the Olympians defeated the Titans long ago.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • Tiffany Stratton qualified by defeating Jacy Jayne, while Jade Cargill advanced via disqualification against Nia Jax after Charlotte Flair's interference.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of defeat
Verb
  • Even if Kylian Mbappe clinched the Golden Boot in the third-place play-off against England and surpassed him as the World Cup’s all-time leading scorer, many of the other all-time records in this competition belong to Messi.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Despite those stumbles, domestic ticket sales are roughly 10% above 2025, according to Rentrak, and the summer season is expected to surpass $4 billion for the second time since the pandemic upended the industry.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 19 July 2026
Definition of surpass
Verb
  • Workers are paying for it as the people in charge mostly ignore our throbbing national headache.
    — Lizzy Lawrence, STAT, 8 July 2026
  • When Marlowe awoke the next morning, her head was still throbbing and Declan's side was empty, the sheets lineless.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 30 June 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
  • In a 2022 request to interview Floris and Benavides, the senators said the episode frustrated and obstructed their oversight.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 19 July 2026
  • Surprisingly, Cape Verde were the one team able to frustrate them, earning a 0-0 draw in the opening match.
    — Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of frustrate
Verb
  • Former Attorney General Pam Bondi identified Blanche as the department’s point person on the release of the Epstein documents, a process that has drawn bipartisan scrutiny.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 July 2026
  • The case has drawn attention because the woman, Andrea Shaw, has publicly blamed vaccines for the twins’ deaths.
    — Aria Bendix, NBC news, 15 July 2026
Definition of draw
Verb
  • On warm Carolina nights in Steele Creek, string lights glow overhead and oldies drift through the speakers.
    — Tristan Graziano, Charlotte Observer, 16 July 2026
  • The spa, wrapped in glowing green marble, offers a peaceful escape where therapists personalize treatments using blends of Biologique Recherche products.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2026
Definition of glow

Phrases Containing beat

Browse Nearby Words

beasts
beat
beat a retreat
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on beat

Nglish: Translation of beat for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about beat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dog days

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All