1
as in pulse
a rhythmic expanding and contracting
he wears a pacemaker to help maintain a regular beating of his heart
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in defeat
failure to win a contest
took a beating and ended up in second place
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pounding
to strike repeatedly
they attacked and beat him, but fortunately he'll be fine
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in defeating
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 exceeding
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 throbbing
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner
the patient's heart beats roughly 60 times per minute
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in frustrating
to prevent from achieving a goal
you beat me to it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in drawing
to shape with a hammer
the medieval artisans who beat iron into exquisite swords
Synonyms & Similar Words
8
as in burning
to shine with a bright harsh light
the tropical sun beat down on our heads without mercy
Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in tapping
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically
beat the drum in a marching rhythm
Synonyms & Similar Words
10
as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
it beats me how that slipup happened
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
12
as in grinding
to reduce to fine particles
years of pounding had beaten the pebbles to a fine dust
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of beating
Marcos Alemán, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
The car-sized robotic rover has taken a beating throughout the course of its 14-year journey on the red planet.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 18 May 2026
Add oil in thin stream, beating constantly.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for beating
Noun
Bukele originally refused to return Abrego García and denied accusations of beating and torture — which have been widely documented by human rights groups in Salvadoran prisons.
—Marcos Alemán, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
The car-sized robotic rover has taken a beating throughout the course of its 14-year journey on the red planet.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Verb
An Aurora man arrested on suspicion of murder is accused of beating a 4-year-old boy to death with a belt over the weekend, according to court documents.
—Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 18 May 2026
Add oil in thin stream, beating constantly.
—Cathy Thomas, Oc Register, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for beating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beating
Noun
-
At 2-0 down, and with Nuno Espirito Santo shuffling to a back-four, there was a flicker of a pulse and two decent saves from Nick Pope.—
George Caulkin,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
-
The group is also running a public awareness campaign to urge Americans to eat a half cup of pulses each day.—
Joe Hernandez,
NPR,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Burton finished with 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting in the first defeat for Golden State (2-1).—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
-
On Wednesday, his son’s header was responsible for the Quakes’ first defeat since a 1-0 home loss to these Sounders on March 15.—
Jon Becker,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Long before Mark Wahlberg was pounding on the front door of a low-slung contemporary cabin, its biggest draw was always the dramatic setting.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
19 May 2026
-
This story which keeps you engaged at every turn is superbly crafted by Gray who knows how to twist a crime genre tale into something fresh and pulse pounding.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Trump has not endorsed a candidate, raising the likelihood of a June 16 runoff that would burn more time and money before the party can focus on defeating Ossoff.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 May 2026
-
Darby Allin defended his AEW World Championship twice in one week, defeating Konosuke Takeshita and Sammy Guevara.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
As the SpaceX deal surfaced, Cursor was also reported to be in negotiations to bring in a new $2 billion funding round at a valuation exceeding $50 billion.—
Rebecca Fannin,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
-
Tarmac delays exceeding four hours on international flights increased to 77, up from 64 in 2024.—
Bruce Finley,
Denver Post,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
The light bled red at Sixty-Seventh and Pacific, music throbbing through the speakers as Olivia Borsutzki relaxed her foot from the brake.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
And yet, as dynasties could emerge across a number of divisions in boys hockey this postseason, none should diminish what will be yet another heart-throbbing three weeks.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The place is a sound-effects recording studio, with three sound designers creating and dubbing aural effects — footsteps on a sandy beach, flapping bird wings — onto pieces of film footage.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
14 May 2026
-
The tents were flapping about in two or three feet of water.—
Ben East,
Outdoor Life,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The documentary’s contradiction is right there, enthralling us with the wild achievements Potter pulled off and frustrating us with his bombast, leading us to ponder whether, as The Dark Wizard suggests, either could exist without the other.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
-
Mack and the Chargers’ defense pressured quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, frustrating them and keeping them out of their comfort zones.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
20 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beating. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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