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
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, 17 June 2026
The Hong Kong exchange was first in the world by IPO funds raised last year — besting the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq, which came second and third respectively — according to KPMG, which noted that strong momentum in 2025 continued in the first quarter of this year.
—Evelyn Cheng,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 June 2026
Messi and Argentina arrive as reigning champions after besting France in the 2022 finale, an all-timer that went down to a penalty shootout.
—Kaya Kaynak, New York Times, 8 June 2026
Hochul also secured several notable reforms impacting the maddeningly high auto insurance rates in New York, besting one of the most potent lobbies in the Capitol, the trial lawyers.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 28 May 2026
Coral came out of the Women’s Open Division on top, besting three-time national team members Christina Gasparich and Calla Allison.
—Kyle Kensing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 May 2026
After winning the contest in 1987, Jordan took home consecutive trophies after besting rival Dominique Wilkins with an unforgettable dunk from the free-throw line.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 20 May 2026
After returning to the Bronx for the first time since besting the Yankees in four games in the American League Division Series, the Blue Jays’ struggles of this season continued.
—Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Hill, a lifelong independent, raised more than $780,000 in the first three months of the year, besting Democrat Matt Schultz, a pastor, who raised $578,000 from last October through March.
—Steve Peoples, Fortune, 15 May 2026
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 June 2026
The Hong Kong exchange was first in the world by IPO funds raised last year — besting the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq, which came second and third respectively — according to KPMG, which noted that strong momentum in 2025 continued in the first quarter of this year.
—Evelyn Cheng,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 8 June 2026
Messi and Argentina arrive as reigning champions after besting France in the 2022 finale, an all-timer that went down to a penalty shootout.
—Kaya Kaynak, New York Times, 8 June 2026
Hochul also secured several notable reforms impacting the maddeningly high auto insurance rates in New York, besting one of the most potent lobbies in the Capitol, the trial lawyers.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 28 May 2026
Coral came out of the Women’s Open Division on top, besting three-time national team members Christina Gasparich and Calla Allison.
—Kyle Kensing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 May 2026
After winning the contest in 1987, Jordan took home consecutive trophies after besting rival Dominique Wilkins with an unforgettable dunk from the free-throw line.
—Riley Jones, Footwear News, 20 May 2026
After returning to the Bronx for the first time since besting the Yankees in four games in the American League Division Series, the Blue Jays’ struggles of this season continued.
—Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Hill, a lifelong independent, raised more than $780,000 in the first three months of the year, besting Democrat Matt Schultz, a pastor, who raised $578,000 from last October through March.
—Steve Peoples, Fortune, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besting
Verb
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After defeating fellow American Kyle Daukaus, fighter Bo Nickal praised the president.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
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Cardenas is currently running for re-election to the Board of Review, and won the Democratic primary in March, defeating former Friends of the Parks executive director Juanita Irizarry.—
Todd Feurer,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Verb
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The barriers our students face have changed over the years, but our commitment to overcoming them remains the same as always.—
Albert D. Mosley,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 June 2026
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Rather than scaling software, their approach focuses on overcoming physical bottlenecks—verified by the laws of physics—to build the foundational architecture for the broader space economy.—
Alexandra Vidyuk,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
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There are a few outfit formulas worth mastering.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Glamour,
17 June 2026
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Grilling burgers is a rite of passage—mastering the art of cooking burgers to the right doneness can mark a new level of cooking confidence.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
15 June 2026
Verb
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Kane looked laboured and lost at Euro 2024 but England should be getting the best version of him in the coming weeks, which gives them a chance of beating any opponent.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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Renard led the team in the 2022 World Cup, famously beating Argentina 2-1 in the group stage.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
Verb
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On Monday, 60 Tao people from Taiwan’s Orchid Island set off on a 111-mile voyage, taking turns to paddle against strong currents to reach the Ivatan people on Batan Island, located in the far north of the Philippines, replicating a journey first thought to have been made more than 4,000 years ago.—
Wayne Chang,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
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Hughton supported Addo at the previous World Cup in 2022 before taking charge of the team for the AFCON in Ivory Coast in early 2024.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Verb
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Her past several albums did not reach the same heights as her biggest releases, and the story around Perry shifted from world-conquering hitmaker to a star on the downswing – one whose latest singles and albums all underperformed, and things weren’t looking up.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
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This was Maserati‘s all-conquering factory race car of the mid-1950s and, unquestionably, one of the most beautiful ever built.—
Howard Walker,
Robb Report,
15 June 2026
Verb
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After dispatching Montreal in five games to make the final, the Hurricanes then faced perennial power Vegas and took care of business there, too.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 June 2026
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Some commentators’ dark horses for the tournament, Norway qualified from Europe with a perfect record, pillaging goals at will, while mercilessly dispatching opponents.—
Jonathan Thompson,
Travel + Leisure,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Besting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besting. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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