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 thumps
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
Lynette Rice, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2025
The five-core GPU in the regular iPhone 17 consistently beats the one in the iPhone Air in our tests, and the Air's GPU occasionally performs more like the Apple A18 from last year's iPhone 16.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
This is why the heart beats with Anna Karenina.
—Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Hard work beats talent, when talent might not work as hard.
—Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 23 Sep. 2025
But nothing beats watching fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, and miracles with Westley/The Man in Black/The Dread Pirate Roberts as your guide.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
Creating and conserving optionality in application development consistently beats compression, regardless of industry.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Timing beats speed, precision beats power, your dad says.
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Trevon Diggs Nabers simply beats Diggs to the spot here.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Sep. 2025
Ana González Vilá, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Threading that narrative in there, and getting all the clumsy beats and the awkward beats, felt like a continuation of the narrative.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
If the hotel’s outdoor pools have a cool, youthful vibe (think DJ beats and poolside paloma cocktails), the spa’s vast heated indoor pool is all about serenity.
—Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2025
Once again, the story beats are the same.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
The beats in the song certainly didn’t help.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2025
Dee Carion is the mastermind behind Doechii’s artful beats, the avant garde lip and eyeliner designs that color our feeds, and the editorial-grade styles on stars such as Chappel Roan, Honey Balenciaga, Kehlani, SZA, and Ayo Edibiri.
—Essence, 18 Sep. 2025
The anonymous teen's mother, who did not release her daughter's name for privacy, told local outlet WMBF News that her daughter began hallucinating last week and her heart rate reached nearly 200 beats per minute.
—Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Block just 10 minutes between meetings, take a tech-free lunch, step outside and let your brain go quiet for a few beats.
—Bronwen Sciortino, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
The sudser from Michele Val Jean is up 67% in multiplatform viewership from last year’s time period and beats ABC’s General Hospital by 7% among women 25-54 on broadcast, according to Nielsen.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2025
The five-core GPU in the regular iPhone 17 consistently beats the one in the iPhone Air in our tests, and the Air's GPU occasionally performs more like the Apple A18 from last year's iPhone 16.
—Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
This is why the heart beats with Anna Karenina.
—Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Hard work beats talent, when talent might not work as hard.
—Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 23 Sep. 2025
But nothing beats watching fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, and miracles with Westley/The Man in Black/The Dread Pirate Roberts as your guide.
—Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 21 Sep. 2025
Creating and conserving optionality in application development consistently beats compression, regardless of industry.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Timing beats speed, precision beats power, your dad says.
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Trevon Diggs Nabers simply beats Diggs to the spot here.
—Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Sep. 2025
Noun
Reparto builds on this intricacy by blending reggaeton beats with its signature clave rhythmic pattern.
—Ana González Vilá, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Threading that narrative in there, and getting all the clumsy beats and the awkward beats, felt like a continuation of the narrative.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025
If the hotel’s outdoor pools have a cool, youthful vibe (think DJ beats and poolside paloma cocktails), the spa’s vast heated indoor pool is all about serenity.
—Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure, 24 Sep. 2025
Once again, the story beats are the same.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2025
The beats in the song certainly didn’t help.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2025
Dee Carion is the mastermind behind Doechii’s artful beats, the avant garde lip and eyeliner designs that color our feeds, and the editorial-grade styles on stars such as Chappel Roan, Honey Balenciaga, Kehlani, SZA, and Ayo Edibiri.
—Essence, 18 Sep. 2025
The anonymous teen's mother, who did not release her daughter's name for privacy, told local outlet WMBF News that her daughter began hallucinating last week and her heart rate reached nearly 200 beats per minute.
—Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025
Block just 10 minutes between meetings, take a tech-free lunch, step outside and let your brain go quiet for a few beats.
—Bronwen Sciortino, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beats
Verb
-
Posted to the account @maisythemarshmallow on September 19, the video shows the dog, named Maisy, lying calmly as the cat snuggles up and licks her face.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Sep. 2025
-
When asked the question, the owl takes the lollipop and licks it three times before chomping down on its hard shell exterior and handing the stick back to the child.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Providing a narrow network or mail-order-only option defeats the purpose.—
Wendy Barnes,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Getting vaccinated too early defeats the purpose.—
Eileen Finan,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
With the win, Wilson surpasses WNBA legends Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and Lauren Jackson — all three-time MVPs — to stand alone atop the league’s all-time MVP list.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
22 Sep. 2025
-
This all sounds wonderful, but for me, oil control surpasses everything.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Portugal’s coastline throbs with beach goers and sports enthusiasts.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
This is part of a business model that has worked for TCU’s regular-season record, but increasingly frustrates fans who want to see a decent matchup in September.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The sharp jump in investor activity is likely due to their financial strength, which can often combat the state’s legendary low affordability that frustrates the common house hunter.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The work draws inspiration from prints in the 17th-century Chinese painting manual The Mustard Seed Garden, though the skills required to create it stretch back far further.—
Justin Fenner,
Robb Report,
27 Sep. 2025
-
The disturbance draws Rafferty and his men into the heart of the crowd — and away from the entrances — to break up the skirmish.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Throughout are artful and ethereal light fixtures, and, in the office, a backlit stone wall glows behind floor-to-ceiling display shelves.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The original charm remains, but the dining room now glows with large windows and warm lighting, anchored by bubblegum pink booths, green trim, and a colorful collection of local artwork.—
Symiah Dorsey,
Southern Living,
21 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
These cues told the robot which drums to strike and when.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Beats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beats. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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