beatdown

noun

beat·​down ˈbēt-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce beatdown (audio)
1
US, informal : a violent physical beating
… said his own client was badly hurt in a beatdown by NYPD officers …Shayna Jacobs
2
US, informal : an emphatic or overwhelming defeat
… he was sitting in his Eugene hotel room, … while absorbing a beatdown in PlayStation 3 boxing from his 10-year-old brother Seth.Tim Layden

Examples of beatdown in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web As beatdowns go, this one was about as one-sided as the Kings-Oilers playoff history has been in general. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024 That now-infamous beatdown sparked a chain reaction that would lead to Shakur's death, prosecutors allege. Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 30 Mar. 2024 Related Articles Dolphins-Bills predictions: Can Miami rebound from beatdown in Baltimore to win division title and secure No. 2 seed in AFC? David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2024 This came on the heels of a 32-point beatdown at Purdue, when U-M allowed 99 points, the program's most lopsided defeat in 17 years. Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press, 29 Jan. 2024 The Texans took down the Cleveland Browns at home in a 45-14 beatdown of the team that had allowed the fewest yards per game of any in the NFL during the regular season. Jack McKessy, USA TODAY, 14 Jan. 2024 Their 55-10 beatdown of the Broncos is the most lopsided in Super Bowl history and also represents the most points scored by one team. Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024 Cronin said his team’s resurgence was a result of incremental improvement, not motivation from a beatdown. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2024 New York won its three playoff games by an average of 27.3 points, including a 49-3 beatdown of Montana's Niners. Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1989, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beatdown was in 1989

Dictionary Entries Near beatdown

Cite this Entry

“Beatdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beatdown. Accessed 7 May. 2024.

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