BEATINGS Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

beatings

noun

plural of beating

as in pulses

a rhythmic expanding and contracting he wears a pacemaker to help maintain a regular beating of his heart

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in defeats

failure to win a contest took a beating and ended up in second place

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 beatings At the two-week trial, three victims recounted beatings while suspended from pipes on the ceiling and the use of a device that folded their bodies in half at the waist. — ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026 Immigrants held there and their families have long described the facility as a detention center where complaints were met with beatings, meager meals and inhuman treatment. — Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026 According to Human Rights Watch, Taliban security forces responded with beatings, shots into the crowd, detentions of protesters, and the killing of at least one boy. — Rina Amiri, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026 Michael, who would later split from his father’s control, accused him of severe childhood emotional and physical abuse, including beatings with iron cords. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2026 Former child soldiers describe being abducted by Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, shackled and ordered to fire on warplanes and civilians, under threat of beatings or death. — Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 For years, Chafin and his deputies had been paid by coal mine operators to suppress union activity, using intimidation, beatings, arrests, and evictions to keep the UMWA out of the county. — Elijah Tanall, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026 Those who oppose the Mexican Mafia, or fail to follow the edicts of the gang’s leaders, are often targeted for beatings or even death. — Sean Emery, Oc Register, 22 July 2026 Complaints about poor conditions were often ignored or met with violence, including late-night beatings and pepper spray, detainees said. — Churchill Ndonwie, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for beatings

Noun

The researchers could control its shape by changing the polarization of the two pulses.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
The team also gave the muscle a workout, stimulating it with light for 15 minutes a day at two pulses per second.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of pulses

Noun

Over the past two months, Republican lawmakers have suffered major defeats on some of their most high-profile policy initiatives.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026
Then came three more defeats, capped by a 12-1 embarrassment on Saturday against the AL East champion Rays.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of defeats

Noun

But alas, eventually all involved have to get down to business and actually contend with the plot beats of Hoover’s story, which is when the movie careens off a cliff, plummeting past so-bad-it’s-good and crashing on the rocks of agonizingly dumb.

— Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
While a strong quarter is expected, investors might be less focused on earnings-per-share and revenue beats.

— Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of beats

Noun

The average user on both a sportsbook and prediction market loses money, and trying to claw back losses puts users in even deeper financial holes, experts warn.

— Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
Despite the sloppy showing by BYU and a dominant defensive performance, TCU failed to capitalize, as the Horned Frogs continue to struggle to score against Power Four conference teams (averaging 11 points per game, all in losses).

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of losses

Noun

Reynolds cites the early-18th-century diary of William Byrd II, who read Homer in the morning and administered whippings to refractory slaves in the afternoon.

— James Traub, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
There was physical violence as well — whippings, beatings, even bricks thrown.

— Pamela Chelin, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026

Definition of whippings

Noun

Understanding, Duminil-Copin argued, is not gained solely through theorems and proofs but also through setbacks.

— Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2026
To avoid any setbacks and ensure the young prince’s safety, the school has already banned photography and as smartphones on campus.

— Annabelle Dufraigne, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of setbacks

Cite this Entry

Style

“Beatings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beatings. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of beatings

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

etiquette

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes