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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Recent Examples of besting
That gold came in the men’s competition, with a team led by John Shuster upsetting Canada in the semifinals, then besting Sweden in the final.
—
Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
By painting rivals as tools of the Jews, hard-right influencers such as Carlson and Bannon hope to delegitimize the competition not by besting their ideas, but by slurring their loyalties and identity.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
The Southern Alberta club last played on Thursday, besting the Diamond Valley Rockies in a shootout.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
This was a record turnaround among SpaceX launches from Space Coast launch pads at 2 hours and 54 minutes besting October’s double launch that saw a Falcon 9 launch at CCSFS just eight hours, 42 minutes after a Falcon Heavy launch at KSC.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
But when the scores went up, Sotnikova had accomplished a major upset, besting Kim by over five points.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
Every single poll has shown Cooper besting Whatley.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
Cosmetics’ Halo Glow Skin Tint was my go-to for most of last year, besting several formulas (including those double the price) in my extensive collection.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 22 Jan. 2026
The 61-point win was UT's most-lopsided victory in a Big 12 or SEC game, besting a 90-39 thrashing of Texas Tech in 2018.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 9 Jan. 2026
Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
By painting rivals as tools of the Jews, hard-right influencers such as Carlson and Bannon hope to delegitimize the competition not by besting their ideas, but by slurring their loyalties and identity.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 4 Feb. 2026
The Southern Alberta club last played on Thursday, besting the Diamond Valley Rockies in a shootout.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
This was a record turnaround among SpaceX launches from Space Coast launch pads at 2 hours and 54 minutes besting October’s double launch that saw a Falcon 9 launch at CCSFS just eight hours, 42 minutes after a Falcon Heavy launch at KSC.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2026
But when the scores went up, Sotnikova had accomplished a major upset, besting Kim by over five points.
—Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
Every single poll has shown Cooper besting Whatley.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
Cosmetics’ Halo Glow Skin Tint was my go-to for most of last year, besting several formulas (including those double the price) in my extensive collection.
—Jacqueline Kilikita, Refinery29, 22 Jan. 2026
The 61-point win was UT's most-lopsided victory in a Big 12 or SEC game, besting a 90-39 thrashing of Texas Tech in 2018.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besting
Verb
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For the Chinese Communist Party, which stakes its claim to legitimacy on defeating Japanese invaders during World War II, that would be an unforgivable outrage.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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The Big Game Seattle Seahawks' players celebrate with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California on February 8, 2026.—
Josephine Rozzelle,
CNBC,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Medical experts and public health leaders say overcoming hesitancy is key in preventing further spread in and around Charlotte, and preventing the rise of other infectious diseases.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Raised in a rural village four hours from the Algerian capital, Khelif sold scrap copper as a young girl to fund her training, overcoming significant economic and societal hurdles.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Taking the exam in one’s native language permits the driver to be knowledgeable about the rules of the road while mastering English proficiency, as many immigrants do.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
4 Feb. 2026
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The bulk of the film features Bella, finally in vampire form, mastering her gift of shielding.—
Lincee Ray,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Seahawks used a first-round bye to rest, heal and prepare, and then routed the 49ers in a divisional-round game before beating the Rams, 31-27, to advance to the Super Bowl.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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The Patriots finished 14-3 but defeated only one team with a winning record in the regular season, beating up on the likes of the Jets (twice), Giants, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns and Joe Burrow-less Cincinnati Bengals en route to an AFC East title.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Konyndyk argued that mortality data won’t reflect many adverse outcomes of the aid cuts, because humanitarians and aid recipients are frantically reallocating funds; for example, taking money away from education to put it towards food.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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Hana starts taking home a rib cage here, a few bones there, grinding them up with a mortar and pestle to make her own DIY version of the gray.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Most Americans don’t want our nation to be an imperial aggressor threatening, conquering and plundering weaker nations.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
2 Feb. 2026
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And with his lengthy playing career under the all-conquering Sir Alex Ferguson, Carrick can lay claim to such heritage.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After a 1-2 start, the Patriots have lost just once since September, finishing the regular season with a 14-3 record before dispatching the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans and Broncos in the playoffs.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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Trump has moved to change course by dispatching his border czar, Tom Homan.—
Rachel Scott,
ABC News,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besting. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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