1
as in pulse
a rhythmic expanding and contracting
he wears a pacemaker to help maintain a regular beating of his heart
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2
as in defeat
failure to win a contest
took a beating and ended up in second place
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1
as in pounding
to strike repeatedly
they attacked and beat him, but fortunately he'll be fine
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2
as in defeating
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 exceeding
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 throbbing
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 flapping
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 frustrating
to prevent from achieving a goal
you beat me to it
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7
as in drawing
to shape with a hammer
the medieval artisans who beat iron into exquisite swords
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8
as in burning
to shine with a bright harsh light
the tropical sun beat down on our heads without mercy
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9
as in tapping
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically
beat the drum in a marching rhythm
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10
as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
it beats me how that slipup happened
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11
as in circumventing
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 grinding
to reduce to fine particles
years of pounding had beaten the pebbles to a fine dust
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13
as in cheating
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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Cite this Entry
“Beating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beating. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.
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