beat 1 of 5

verb (1)

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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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

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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 5

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 5

adjective (1)

as in tired
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness can we pick this up tomorrow, because I'm beat?

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beaten

4 of 5

adjective (2)

ˈbē-tᵊn How to pronounce beaten (audio)
as in exhausted
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness felt beaten after three months of 90-hour workweeks

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beaten

5 of 5

verb (2)

variants or beat
past participle of beat
1
as in pounded
to strike repeatedly they attacked and beat him, but fortunately he'll be fine

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in defeated
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 surpassed
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 pulsed
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner the patient's heart beats roughly 60 times per minute

Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in fluttered
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 baffled
to prevent from achieving a goal you beat me to it

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in forged
to shape with a hammer the medieval artisans who beat iron into exquisite swords

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

Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in drummed
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically beat the drum in a marching rhythm

Synonyms & Similar Words
10
as in puzzled
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty it beats me how that slipup happened

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in escaped
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 crushed
to reduce to fine particles years of pounding had beaten the pebbles to a fine dust

Synonyms & Similar Words
13
as in cheated
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

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
Songer became their go-to MC, belting out those same punchlines to sweaty clubs full of teenagers at 160 beats per minute. — Sam Davies, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2026 For much of the ’80s, Teresa Taylor (aka Teresa Nervosa) joined up as a second drummer, pounding tribal beats beside Coffey, and became a Gen-X icon after appearing in the 1990 film Slacker. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 20 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
Adjective
Add the beaten egg, a pinch of salt and pepper, and mix thoroughly. — Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Dec. 2025 Customarily, it is served cold in whisper-thin slices, sidled by beaten biscuits, yeast rolls, or rye bread. — Nancy Vienneau, Southern Living, 2 Dec. 2025
Verb
Netflix beat profit expectations for its second quarter, but missed expectations on revenue. — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026 Generic alternatives beat some of the presidential deals In May, TrumpRx added hundreds of generic drugs available at partners like Cost Plus Drugs and Amazon Pharmacy. — Sydney Lupkin, NPR, 16 July 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
  • During a presentation on the new graduation rates data at the Board of Regents meeting last week, Regent Jose Hernandez drew attention to the contradictory nature of the data and what STEM professors were saying in public comment on the issue.
    — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 22 July 2026
  • In social media posts, Wilson claimed the producers initially withheld consent to show the film at the Toronto International Film Festival to retaliate against her for drawing attention to their bad behavior.
    — Hilary Whiteman, CNN Money, 22 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

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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 22 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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