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 The British-Argentine actor’s point has less to do with her conflicted con artist cheating death numerous times and besting her mobster in-laws, as well as the FBI. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026 The year ended up with a record 109 missions, besting the 93 flown in 2024 when the 50th mission was on July 8. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026 Samsung promises seven years of OS and security updates, besting Motorola's commitment of three years for OS upgrades and five years for security updates. — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 3 Aug. 2026 Miami hit 96 Thursday afternoon, besting the previous 95 degree record set in 2015. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026 Banks scored from seven of the shooting zones during the two rounds, besting six from Delle Donne and four from Shakira Austin. — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 28 July 2026 And by exceeding expectations so spectacularly on nomination morning, Widow’s Bay seized the thrust in the comedy category despite Hacks’s superior nomination count (24 nominations, besting its previous high of 17 nominations in 2022). — Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 July 2026 Financial markets have noticed, and CPU incumbents AMD and Intel are among the two best-performing chip stocks so far in 2026, up 128% and 149% respectively, besting Nvidia’s rise of 8%. — Kif Leswing, CNBC, 21 July 2026 Trump ripped up that deal in 2018 and has been obsessed with besting it with his own. — Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for besting

Verb

Flag football Panorama pulled off the biggest upset of the week, defeating Eagle Rock in four overtimes.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Day denied that defeating Sununu is his ultimate objective, instead describing his campaign as an experiment in using third-party candidates to force the major parties to keep their promises.

— Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of defeating

Verb

The discovery opens up new possibilities for heat management in next-generation quantum devices, overcoming bottlenecks faced earlier.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 24 Aug. 2026
Wachter said some young buyers are overcoming high housing costs by looking at older homes and fixer-uppers, putting their own time and labor into improvements or even renting out part of the property to help cover costs.

— Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of overcoming

Verb

But the practical race in 2026 is won by mastering both contests at once with absolute capability and radical efficiency, closed excellence and open diffusion, the biggest reliable compute and the smartest use of it.

— Mark Minevich, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
Hybrid tech has been around for decades, and some automakers have refined their hybrid nameplates over the years, mastering the balance between affordability and efficiency for consumers.

— Charles Singh, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of mastering

Verb

Guidance includes carrying ample water and supplies, checking road and weather conditions in advance and taking an alternative means of communication, such as a satellite communicator or emergency beacon.

— Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Video from the scene showed law enforcement officers taking cover behind patrol SUVs on the street near the home as a small tactical team behind a handheld shield moved toward the structure.

— Dennis Romero, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of taking

Verb

Several other Carpenter tracks have come close to conquering the roster but missed out by a space or two.

— Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Minnesota’s top-end talent continues to trump the depth of the Valkyries, whose success conquering the margins doesn’t seem to work against the Lynx’s magic.

— Marcus Thompson II, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of conquering

Verb

Keb was outclassed from the opening bell and Harvey wasted no time dispatching him.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Copeland and Cage have reigned supreme over the tag team division since then, dispatching The Death Riders and The Dogs in separate matches.

— Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Aug. 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 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of besting

verb

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