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
Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
Getting Around Transit most definitely beats driving here.
—David Hochman, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026
Nothing beats a classic hush puppy recipe.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 5 June 2026
August is a violent, domineering, bullying boss who starves and beats the animals in his circus and doesn’t treat his human workers much better.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 June 2026
The free event beats Union Station’s own version of a doggie drag-show, the also-free Paws with Pride, to the punch by a mere day, as the latter event returns for its third annual run on Saturday, June 7.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 4 June 2026
Half a day spent walking, sitting and eating in a single area beats a checklist of landmarks.
—Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
That beats the previous record of 113 set in 2014 and 2017.
—Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 3 June 2026
In my opinion, precision beats power.
—Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 29 May 2026
Hacks has often followed the beats of a romantic comedy, sometimes to its detriment.
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 May 2026
Write For The Journalist’s Audience Or Agenda Relevance beats reach.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
While the Facebook and Instagram parent posted top and bottom line beats, investors didn't like management's decision to spend even more on generative AI moving forward.
—Morgan Chittum,matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 27 May 2026
Javier Bardem is terrific as a former enfant terrible filmmaker who tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter by putting her in his new movie in The Beloved, which eschews the easy sentimental beats but also ends up short on many satisfying ones.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 27 May 2026
Campaign beats included Dolby Cinema screenings in partnership with AMC theaters with an Atmos audio mix from the film’s Academy Award-winning sound designer Johnnie Burn (The Zone of Interest) on May 17.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 22 May 2026
Boutique-goers take in the beats reminiscent of Seville, Spain; New York, and the Appalachia mountains.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 20 May 2026
Working with the rhythm beats fighting it every time.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 19 May 2026
Verb
For Mills, nothing beats the unfettered connection caving has to nature.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
Getting Around Transit most definitely beats driving here.
—David Hochman, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026
Nothing beats a classic hush puppy recipe.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 5 June 2026
August is a violent, domineering, bullying boss who starves and beats the animals in his circus and doesn’t treat his human workers much better.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 June 2026
The free event beats Union Station’s own version of a doggie drag-show, the also-free Paws with Pride, to the punch by a mere day, as the latter event returns for its third annual run on Saturday, June 7.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 4 June 2026
Half a day spent walking, sitting and eating in a single area beats a checklist of landmarks.
—Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 3 June 2026
That beats the previous record of 113 set in 2014 and 2017.
—Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 3 June 2026
In my opinion, precision beats power.
—Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 2 June 2026
Noun
On Marcriá, RaiNao expands her range, threading her island’s bomba and plena music through bassy reggaeton beats and orchestration.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 29 May 2026
Hacks has often followed the beats of a romantic comedy, sometimes to its detriment.
—Judy Berman, Time, 29 May 2026
Write For The Journalist’s Audience Or Agenda Relevance beats reach.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
While the Facebook and Instagram parent posted top and bottom line beats, investors didn't like management's decision to spend even more on generative AI moving forward.
—Morgan Chittum,matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 27 May 2026
Javier Bardem is terrific as a former enfant terrible filmmaker who tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter by putting her in his new movie in The Beloved, which eschews the easy sentimental beats but also ends up short on many satisfying ones.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 27 May 2026
Campaign beats included Dolby Cinema screenings in partnership with AMC theaters with an Atmos audio mix from the film’s Academy Award-winning sound designer Johnnie Burn (The Zone of Interest) on May 17.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 22 May 2026
Boutique-goers take in the beats reminiscent of Seville, Spain; New York, and the Appalachia mountains.
—Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 20 May 2026
Working with the rhythm beats fighting it every time.
—Allison Palmer, Kansas City Star, 19 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beats
Verb
-
A lot of freedom going on between the guitars, a lotta little licks intermingle with the big guitar licks that the song is all about.—
Liza Lentini,
SPIN,
22 May 2026
-
At one point A’zion licks the digitally de-aged Mick Jagger’s face.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
But when a brutish — and handsome — newcomer named Sir Tristam defeats Sir Palomides in a tournament, Princess Isode finds her plans thwarted.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
-
Brown family Joni says the policy change defeats the purpose of getting the pass.—
Olivia Young,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The former controller of fiction at the BBC adds that the breadth of the TOBS fan base surpasses Downton.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
28 May 2026
-
Top graded Pomona College ( A+) has UNAEP to expenses of over 600% and Grinnell College in Iowa’s ratio surpasses 1,000%.—
Matt Schifrin,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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.—
Daniel Smith,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Pain that is not a word throbs in his shoulders, awakens him each morning.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Iran’s flag before the 1979 revolution — green, white and red with a lion and a rising sun — flutters from many overhangs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel (center) flutters a Venezuelan and Cuban national flags in support of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in Havana.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
Every customer service call, chatbot exchange, product review, email, and digital interaction contains insight into what customers expect, what frustrates them, and what ultimately builds loyalty.—
Gary Drenik,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
They’re connected by a free three-and-a-half-mile coastal trail known as the Cliff Walk—one of the biggest tourist draws to America’s smallest state.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
The shooting occurred near the Old West End Festival, a longstanding community event that draws thousands of visitors to one of Toledo's most historic neighborhoods each year.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
The rich color palette brings warmth and depth, while the fluid scarf silhouette adds an effortless elegance that practically glows on the dance floor.—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
30 May 2026
-
In Los Angeles, Jennifer Lopez glows in a green gown at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, while Jean Smart and Kaitlin Olson are a couple of cutie costars at the Hacks Season 5 FYC Event.—
People Staff,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beats. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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