Synonyms of beat
-
as in to lick 
-
as in to defeat
-
as in to surpass
-
as in to throb
-
as in to flutter
-
as in to frustrate
-
as in to draw
-
as in to glow
-
as in to drum
-
as in to confuse
-
as in to circumvent
-
as in to grind
-
as in to cheat
-
as in blow
-
as in pulse
-
as in rhythm
-
as in minute
-
as in tired
-
Example Sentences
-
Phrases Containing
-
Entries Near
1
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
they attacked and beat him, but fortunately he'll be fine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to defeat
to achieve a victory over
she always beats everyone at checkers, but she's not as good at chess
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to surpass
to be greater, better, or stronger than
this new animated feature sure beats everything else that's ever been done in animation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in to flutter
to move or cause to move with a striking motion
the bird's wings beat strongly as it soared in the air
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in to frustrate
to prevent from achieving a goal
you beat me to it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
8
9
as in to drum
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically
beat the drum in a marching rhythm
Synonyms & Similar Words
10
as in to confuse
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
it beats me how that slipup happened
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in to circumvent
to avoid having to comply with (something) especially through cleverness
he spends all of his time trying to beat the system
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
12
13
as in to cheat
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
the screenwriter has filed a lawsuit, accusing the production company of beating him out of his share of the film's net profits
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
delivered one hard beat on the drums
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in pulse
a rhythmic expanding and contracting
a single beat of the heart is said to be all that separates the vice president from the presidency
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in rhythm
the recurrent pattern formed by a series of sounds having a regular rise and fall in intensity
moved to the beat of the music
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in minute
a very small space of time
within a beat he was on the phone complaining about an error in his bill
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in tired
depleted in strength, energy, or freshness
can we pick this up tomorrow, because I'm beat?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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 beat
Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Palo Alto Networks passed through the fiscal first-quarter earnings beat into its full-year fiscal 2025 outlook.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2024
Brad Japhe, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
But every morning, in those obscure beats by which the light and solidity of day replace the liquid remnants of dream, the reality of his situation would return to him and drain his heart of any comfort sleep had brought.
—Greg Jackson, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
Larry Stansbury, Essence, 22 July 2024
These just barely beat estimates, as analysts polled by LSEG were expecting 72 cents earnings per share on $4.68 billion in revenue.
—Sean Conlon, CNBC, 16 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for beat 
Verb
On Monday night, Michigan beat Washington at Houston's NRG Stadium to claim its first national championship since 1997.
—Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
Palo Alto Networks passed through the fiscal first-quarter earnings beat into its full-year fiscal 2025 outlook.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
In the finish, these sturdy tasting notes split open to reveal sandalwood spice that lingers for several beats.
—Brad Japhe, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
But every morning, in those obscure beats by which the light and solidity of day replace the liquid remnants of dream, the reality of his situation would return to him and drain his heart of any comfort sleep had brought.
—Greg Jackson, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
Adjective
This included everything from how to nail down a beat face, to what lip oils to add to my nighttime lip-care routine.
—Larry Stansbury, Essence, 22 July 2024
These just barely beat estimates, as analysts polled by LSEG were expecting 72 cents earnings per share on $4.68 billion in revenue.
—Sean Conlon, CNBC, 16 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for beat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beat
Verb
-
Most other social mammals groom by licking, but primates are unique among tetrapod vertebrates in our reliance on hands and feet for tasks many other taxa use their faces for, says Borths.Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 21 Nov. 2024
-
Zia was licking herself and developing hotspots from itchiness.Jen McCaffery, Discover Magazine, 14 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Aryna Sabalenka defeats Jessica Pegula and Jannik Sinner defeats Taylor Fritz. September 15 - The 76th annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony takes place with Dan and Eugene Levy as hosts. October 7-14 - The Nobel Prizes are announced.CNN, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024
-
All of those measures were defeated, but forced the real estate industry to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in opposition.Andrew Khouri, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The North Carolina Board of Elections said the number of early voters broke a record, surpassing the 3.6 million early votes cast in the 2020 election, officials said.Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2024
-
Despite a lack of funding for even basic educational necessities, and school district leaders who only care about the barest minimum standards, these educators are united by their drive to surpass expectations and encourage their students to do the same.Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
The noise of the cicadas throbbed terribly in the trees.Greg Jackson, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024
-
But Harmony Korine’s latest marries a first-person perspective to a barrage of other visual noise on screen, including icons, pop-ups, picture-in-picture, and a chat overlay, all accompanied by a throbbing non-stop score by British producer Burial.Alison Willmore, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2024
Verb
-
My heart was fluttering strongly on and off for about four hours.Scott Kramer, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
-
This is key, as stripers often stun their prey then swing around and gobble up the dead and dying bunker fluttering to the bottom.Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 17 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
But one of the smart pleasures of Walden is to watch its author gently frustrate the dramatic assumptions that filter in from A Streetcar Named Desire.Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
-
Several counties statewide face a lengthy, two-page ballot that is likely to frustrate voters and lead to lines at the polls.The Arizona Republic, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
While there are no direct references, the premise draws inspiration from Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s romance.Catherine Santino, People.com, 20 Nov. 2024
-
Held in partnership with Ralph Lauren, Harry Winston and TikTok, the annual event saw several stars drawing inspiration from the American designer for their red carpet style.Julia Teti, WWD, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Users can see a developing fire on the map, represented by a glowing yellow dot well before its perimeter is reported to the NIFC.Kristin Shaw, Popular Science, 14 Nov. 2024
-
One key incumbent appeared to be heading off a possible upset: That was Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, who seemed likely to continue his astounding run as the only Republican to hold countywide office, even as Oakland County seemingly glows a brighter blue with each election.Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near beat
Cite this Entry
“Beat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share