BESTING Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

besting

verb

present participle of best

as in defeating

to achieve a victory over at last she's bested her card-playing mother at the game of hearts

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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 besting Fox won the English-language rights in 2011, besting incumbent ESPN with a $425 million bid for two cycles. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 22 Oct. 2026 As the unsuccessful regime-change effort in Iran demonstrated, there are no shortcuts to besting the axis countries, together or individually. — Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026 Allen won an overtime game for the first time in his career by besting Matthew Stafford, who passed for 383 yards and three touchdowns. — CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 The musical grossed a whopping $2,608,571, easily besting runner-up The Lion King‘s $1,700,873. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026 The 48-year gap between his two most recent wins set a new record, besting the previous record holder, Reiner’s dad, Carl Reiner, according to Variety. — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026 The Bears set a franchise record for points in an opener, besting a 45-7 win over the Packers in 1948. — Joseph Person, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026 Even the National Weather Service’s Oxnard station wasn’t spared — topping out at 87 degrees, besting a record of 85 set in 1931. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 The potentially final chapter of LIV's story being closed out with La Sasso besting the two biggest LIV stars was certainly a scene. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for besting

Verb

Republican Bo French, who previously chaired the Tarrant County GOP, faces Democrat Jon Rosenthal after defeating incumbent Jim Wright in a May Republican primary runoff for the state agency that regulates Texas’ oil and gas industry.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026
There’s nothing more important than defeating his pathetic opponent, Mike Collins.

— NBC news, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of defeating

Verb

Others discussed overcoming the initial awkwardness of the work and finding satisfaction in helping doctors become more competent and compassionate.

— Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2026
These productions focused on accessibility, particularly for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences, rather than overcoming language barriers.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of overcoming

Verb

Making a cup of coffee can be as simple as popping a pod into a machine or as complex as mastering a high-tech espresso machine.

— Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 21 Oct. 2026
Ward went on to join Ohio’s BalletMet and North Carolina Dance Theatre, mastering classical and neoclassical styles until his heart demanded a move beyond those orthodoxies.

— Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of mastering

Verb

The automaker just cut the high end of its forecast and saw its share price drop, even while beating expectations for the quarter.

— Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
The Dodgers-Yankees series lasted five games, and the Dodgers beat up on the Yankees when the Yankees weren’t beating themselves.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of beating

Verb

Unlike traditional sports betting, prediction markets function more like exchanges, with participants taking positions against one another rather than against a house.

— Aneri Jambusaria, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
During a recent town hall at the Ivy League school, one student raised the question of a Greek life ban, asking student organizers if taking that step might improve the culture on campus.

— Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of taking

Verb

Marsh argued conquering the global market means knowing differences between international markets.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
Before conquering Hollywood, Ali played Division I basketball (standing at six feet four) and released rap albums under the name Prince Ali.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of conquering

Verb

More important than the figures themselves is the engine’s broad, effortless power delivery, which makes the Carrera T feel eager whether carving through a mountain road or dispatching a stretch of freeway.

— Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026
Tory Burch excels at activating her frow-goers, dispatching content creators like Tefi Pessoa and Kennedy Eurich as correspondents, who saturate social media with guest interviews and interactions.

— Joan Kennedy, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of dispatching

Browse Nearby Words

bestiary

besting

bestir

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“Besting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besting. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of besting

verb

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