beat a dead horse

idiom

chiefly US, informal

: to keep talking about a subject that has already been discussed or decided

I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but I still don't understand what happened.

: to waste time and effort trying to do something that is impossible

Is it just beating a dead horse to ask for another recount of the votes?

Examples of beat a dead horse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Not wanting to beat a dead horse, but if the pundit’s advice was followed, namely do not report the rather bland or inoffensive circumstance, here’s what could arise. —

Lance Eliot, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2021 In other words, stop trying to beat a dead horse with certain people, jobs, or groups that are simply a wasteland for your bright light. —

Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Dec. 2022 Why beat a dead horse? —

Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 8 Dec. 2021 Not to beat a dead horse here, but oh my goodness, the resonance. —

Rose Maura Lorre, Vulture, 18 June 2021 Not to beat a dead horse, but every other country in the world (apart from Eritrea) has somehow managed to balance these concerns in a satisfactory manner and is no worse off for it. —

Robert Goulder, Forbes, 7 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beat a dead horse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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“Beat a dead horse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beat%20a%20dead%20horse. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

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