beat 1 of 5

1
2
3
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
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

beat

2 of 5

noun

1
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

beat

3 of 5

adjective (1)

beaten

5 of 5

verb (2)

variants or beat
past participle of beat
1
2
3
4
as in pulsed
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner the patient's heart beats roughly 60 times per minute

Synonyms & Similar Words

5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

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
In terms of the absolute number of viewers that were added between a sixth and seventh broadcast, the 2016 Cavaliers-Warriors classic beat all comers with a net gain of 10.3 million viewers. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 22 June 2025 Gordon mentions beating the Bears’ rivals as one of his key team goals for the 2025 season. Dj Siddiqi, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Noun
While Goedert did follow those beats, there was another detail. Joe Kozlowski, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 June 2025 The crowd packed onto a roof deck, lounged on vintage sofas in the lobby, and filled out the 2,000-square-foot theater, dancing spontaneously to looped beats by the artist-musician hybrid Lumberob. Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 18 June 2025
Adjective
Rivera climbed into Feliz’s car; threatened, beat, and tased him, and then shot him in the chest point blank. Lourdes Rosado, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2025 While anyone can enjoy listening to albums or 45s on the go, KORG also includes a wide range of features aimed at DJs, including playback speed adjustment, a beat looper (which gives the ability to layer scratches over a beat loop), filters, a fader and delay effects. Brad Moon, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Remove and discard plastic wrap from rolls, and gently brush tops of rolls with some of the beaten egg. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 16 Nov. 2023 Chee mashes the kernels with beaten egg, salt and a flourish of sugar that brings the flavor into focus but leaves no trace of sweetness. Ligaya Mishan Esther Choi, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2022
Verb
The man had been severely beaten with a baseball bat and was suffering from injuries to his face and arm, federal authorities said. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2025 If Liverpool beat Newcastle United at Wembley on Sunday, the Carabao Cup will be Slot’s first trophy since replacing Jurgen Klopp nine months ago. Daniel Taylor, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beat
Noun
  • The Senate parliamentarian's guidance has delivered several blows to key GOP provisions, including an effort to exclude undocumented immigrants from receiving Medicaid benefits and a plan to lower provider taxes, which states use to help fund their portion of Medicaid costs.
    June 27, CBS News, 27 June 2025
  • The Senate parliamentarian has advised that a Medicaid provider tax overhaul central to President Donald Trump’s tax cut and spending bill does not adhere to the chamber’s procedural rules, delivering a crucial blow as Republicans rush to finish the package this week.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 27 June 2025
Noun
  • People with heart disease, symptoms such as a fast pulse or heartbeat, shortness of breath, or unusual weakness may indicate a health problem.
    Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
  • Neighborhoods like Barbès-Rochechouart and La Chapelle pulse with the energy of African and Caribbean communities.
    Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • In a moment where speed still dominates, Wales Bonner continues to build at her own rhythm.
    Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 25 June 2025
  • But to that experimental legacy, Ruhl brought her own stylistic rhythms, her own poetic forms, and her own feminist concerns.
    Pamela Newton June 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
Noun
  • Cynthia, seeing Carmen and Julius bleeding, sped to the hospital, one minute away, but Carmen was pronounced dead on arrival.
    Sally Ventura June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
  • This one came in at three days, 21 hours, 41 minutes.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • As its infectious message, hip hop hook, gentle-against-forceful thump, radiates further into the zeitgeist expect it be heard everywhere.
    Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 15 June 2025
  • The only noise was the low thump from a boombox in front of a boba shop.
    Kaitlyn Huamani, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2025
Noun
  • Weger was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the fatal beating of Lillian Oetting, 50, in March 1960 at the scenic park near Utica.
    Christy Gutowski, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
  • But the movie’s focus isn’t so much the zeitgeist that yields these public beatings, but rather, the strange and amusing way that a young woman present in the crowd, Maitri (Singh), uses this violence to her advantage in a moment of snap judgement.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 June 2025
Noun
  • There's also a cadence sensor that straps around the pedal crank and a wire that connects the battery and motor.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 June 2025
  • Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva Carroll writes with the same playful cadence and eccentric flair that defines her voice, which is undeniably that of a decades-long Elle columnist.
    Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
Noun
  • Spanning over 30 years, the event will once again celebrate the heartbeat of Latin music and culture with four days of panels, marquee conversations, roundtables, showcases, networking and activations.
    Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 25 June 2025
  • Music has always been the heartbeat of the VMAs, but the show’s soul comes from its willingness to break rules, embrace unpredictability and reflect the times.
    Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 24 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on 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!