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
England saw off an immense challenge from Mexico, beating one of the tournament co-hosts in their home stadium after seeing one player sent off in a game that will go down as one of the best of the 2026 World Cup. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 5 July 2026 France survived Paraguay's physical gameplan to beat La Albirroja, the red and white, 1-0 to advance to play Morocco, which shut out Canada on Saturday 3-0, in a quarterfinal on July 9 in Foxboro, Mass. — Sean Gregory, Time, 5 July 2026
Noun
Led by their captain, Kylian Mbappe, the team sprinted towards the hardcore group of French travelling fans behind the goal, euro-dancing up and down to the beat of Freed From Desire. — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 5 July 2026 At this price, a 5-year plan beats paying for lessons or restarting with a new app every few months. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 4 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
  • In the end, none of them were fit to lick the boots of Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800.
    — Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 3 July 2026
  • But the Carolinas have their own ways of making barbecue finger-licking.
    — Amethyst Ganaway, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • Egypt defeated Australia 4-2 in a penalty-kick shootout Friday after the teams played to a 1-1 tie after 120 minutes in Arlington, Texas.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 4 July 2026
  • The short version is that after defeating the Kilrathi at the climax of Wing Commander 3, Mark Hamill’s Christopher Blair retires to a backwater world to live out a life in peace and obscurity.
    — Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 3 July 2026
Definition of defeat
Verb
  • Organizers of celebrations months in the making had to adjust or cancel activities entirely as much of the East Coast sweltered under heat that approached and in many cases surpassed triple digits.
    — Steven Sloan, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • With the more than 2,000-acre jump in size, the Aspen Acres fire has surpassed the 2012 High Park fire and sits behind the 2018 Spring Creek fire, which consumed 108,045 acres, according to the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.
    — Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 5 July 2026
Definition of surpass
Verb
  • 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
  • And judging by the throbbing snippet that caps off the video they might not be done.
    — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 26 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
  • Belgium looked limited and frustrated, with Leandro Trossard and Youri Tielemans heading into the second-half hydration break in the middle of an angry argument.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • Its young people are increasingly educated and ambitious but many are frustrated over fierce competition for limited jobs.
    — Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
Definition of frustrate
Verb
  • His approach has drawn criticism from ​some Sikh groups, who accuse Ottawa of failing to hold India accountable or safeguard Sikh Canadians from foreign interference and transnational repression.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 8 July 2026
  • Shenzhen is home to a swath of Chinese tech giants, including Tencent, Huawei, drone maker DJI and EV behemoth BYD, and continues to draw a new generation of founders building companies from camera maker Insta360 to robotics firm UBTech.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 8 July 2026
Definition of draw
Verb
  • Hathaway glowed in an embellished Marc by Marc Jacobs mini dress and Miu Miu platform heels, per the HuffPost.
    — Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
  • Water off the coast of North Carolina sometimes glows blue, but the light can be hard to find.
    — Eva Flowe July 8, Charlotte Observer, 8 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 10 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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