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
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.
After a 33-8 beatdown from the Indianapolis Colts, the NFL world was already calling for the job of Mike McDaniel. James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025 But instigated by the Saugus student section, Staub flipped the script that night in a 43-6 beatdown. Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 11 Sep. 2025 Fox’s Saturday broadcast absolutely buried the year-ago analogue, a Penn State beatdown of West Virginia that averaged just shy of 3 million viewers. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 4 Sep. 2025 Young ended up 13-for-30 for 161 yards, took four sacks and had two interceptions in a 47-10 beatdown bestowed by the New Orleans Saints (who would end the season 5-12). Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beatdown

Word History

First Known Use

1989, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beatdown was in 1989

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Cite this Entry

“Beatdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beatdown. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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