1
as in licks
to strike repeatedly
they attacked and beat him, but fortunately he'll be fine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in defeats
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 surpasses
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 throbs
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner
the patient's heart beats roughly 60 times per minute
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in flutters
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 frustrates
to prevent from achieving a goal
you beat me to it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
8
as in glows
to shine with a bright harsh light
the tropical sun beat down on our heads without mercy
Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in drums
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically
beat the drum in a marching rhythm
Synonyms & Similar Words
10
as in confuses
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
it beats me how that slipup happened
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in circumvents
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 grinds
to reduce to fine particles
years of pounding had beaten the pebbles to a fine dust
Synonyms & Similar Words
13
as in plucks
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
1
as in blows
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
delivered one hard beat on the drums
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in pulses
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 rhythms
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
as in heartbeats
a very small space of time
within a beat he was on the phone complaining about an error in his bill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of beats
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 June 2026
The infant’s heart beats into the night, like the thumping of a little giant, breaking rocks deep in the Mines of Moria.
—
Literary Hub,
19 June 2026
If Turkey beats Paraguay on Friday, then USMNT would need a win or tie against the Turks in the final group-stage match to win the group.
—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2026
Nothing beats the thrill of finding designer clothes, vintage linens, or like-new home decor at a thrift store.
—
Kathy Barnes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 June 2026
Other McDonald’s pies Nothing beats classic apple, but McDonald’s has offered a revolving door of seasonal pie flavors over the years, McClatchy News previously reported.
—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
17 June 2026
The short version is that a simple routine plus daily habits beats a 12-step shelf of serums.
—
Allison Palmer
updated June 13,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 June 2026
Observation beats honour systems.
—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
My heart beats faster just thinking about all of them, no kidding.
—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2026
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
25 June 2026
Our speakers bureau functions much like editorial beats in a newsroom.
—
Heather Rosenow,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
The film breathes in a dynamic way, the last few beats taking a startling turn toward a somber wistfulness.
—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2026
And having a clear narrative throughline frees the audience to, instead of making logistical sense of each shot, really key into the emotional and dramatic beats of the sequence.
—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
24 June 2026
How Heat Actually Works In The Body During a sauna session, heart rate climbs to 100 to 150 beats per minute and the cardiovascular system undergoes thermoregulatory conditioning that resembles moderate aerobic exercise without the mechanical load.
—
Allison Palmer
updated June 24,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 June 2026
There are no Dust Brothers beats of burden on this album, as there were on Bridges to Babylon.
—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
Ever see a musician extracting freaky beats from a drum of vibrating milk while surrounded by thousands of funerary urns?
—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
Pop anthems gave way to house beats.
—
Sari Kamin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
17 June 2026
Verb
The race is won by the team that beats their handicap speed by the greatest margin.
—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
20 June 2026
The infant’s heart beats into the night, like the thumping of a little giant, breaking rocks deep in the Mines of Moria.
—
Literary Hub,
19 June 2026
If Turkey beats Paraguay on Friday, then USMNT would need a win or tie against the Turks in the final group-stage match to win the group.
—
Chris Biderman,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2026
Nothing beats the thrill of finding designer clothes, vintage linens, or like-new home decor at a thrift store.
—
Kathy Barnes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 June 2026
Other McDonald’s pies Nothing beats classic apple, but McDonald’s has offered a revolving door of seasonal pie flavors over the years, McClatchy News previously reported.
—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
17 June 2026
The short version is that a simple routine plus daily habits beats a 12-step shelf of serums.
—
Allison Palmer
updated June 13,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 June 2026
Observation beats honour systems.
—
Dara-Abasi Ita,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2026
My heart beats faster just thinking about all of them, no kidding.
—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2026
Noun
Every one of Kenny’s beats is a chunk of ore from a different comet.
—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
25 June 2026
Our speakers bureau functions much like editorial beats in a newsroom.
—
Heather Rosenow,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
The film breathes in a dynamic way, the last few beats taking a startling turn toward a somber wistfulness.
—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2026
And having a clear narrative throughline frees the audience to, instead of making logistical sense of each shot, really key into the emotional and dramatic beats of the sequence.
—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
24 June 2026
How Heat Actually Works In The Body During a sauna session, heart rate climbs to 100 to 150 beats per minute and the cardiovascular system undergoes thermoregulatory conditioning that resembles moderate aerobic exercise without the mechanical load.
—
Allison Palmer
updated June 24,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 June 2026
There are no Dust Brothers beats of burden on this album, as there were on Bridges to Babylon.
—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2026
Ever see a musician extracting freaky beats from a drum of vibrating milk while surrounded by thousands of funerary urns?
—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
17 June 2026
Pop anthems gave way to house beats.
—
Sari Kamin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
17 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beats
Verb
-
Food stands also debuted that year, with ribs sizzling along with the blues licks.
-
At one point in a dinner scene, Shields' Erika licks Joey's fingers.
Verb
-
What will most likely play out at Night of Champions is that Rhodes somehow retains his WWE Championship while Uso defeats Femi to win the KOTR, likely due to interference from Brock Lesnar.
-
But the governor’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year would limit companies’ ability to claim tax credits, which the entertainment groups argue defeats the purpose of the expansion.
Verb
-
That exceeds the payload capacity of both the B-2 and B-21 and even surpasses the venerable B-52 in several mission configurations.
-
The total for the former first four on the list, Visa, Airbnb (2020), Cerebras Systems (2026), and Snowflake (2020) barely surpasses the rocket and AI giant’s mark.
Verb
-
My boredom typically spurs feelings of frustration, guilt, shame—and long nutritionless spells of goggling, slack-jawed, at celebrity news on my phone while the world throbs around me.
-
Pain that is not a word throbs in his shoulders, awakens him each morning.
Verb
-
Iran’s flag before the 1979 revolution — green, white and red with a lion and a rising sun — flutters from many overhangs.
-
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel (center) flutters a Venezuelan and Cuban national flags in support of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in Havana.
Verb
-
What frustrates me is when the CTA isn’t there.
-
Part of what fascinates and frustrates as regards Ginsberg is that for all of those thick anthologies, propriety forces me to concede that many of the poems simply aren’t that good.
Verb
-
The food prepared by Libby and George Miller, who put their truck on the road following the successful launch of a catering business, always draws a line at local festivals.
-
But as the November election draws closer and Republicans are trying to defend their majorities, Trump is instead needling Congress with his demands and reversals, driving several Republican senators to disparage his actions publicly for the first time.
Verb
-
Pink and green airbrushing glows against chrome cutouts, 3D decals, and sparkling gemstones.
-
The speakeasy-style room glows with a gold-leaf ceiling, ochre velvet sofas, and an extravagant cocktail menu.
Cite this Entry
“Beats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beats. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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