miss a beat

phrase

chiefly US : to have difficulty in continuing : to stop or hesitate briefly
—often used in negative constructions
The company changed ownership without missing a beat.
A few minutes later, the power cuts out …, but Achmed doesn't miss a beat; clearly, he's used to this.—Eric Weiner

Examples of miss a beat 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.
But don’t be fooled; the team here—from the general manager to the bar staff—never misses a beat. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026 Without missing a beat, a clerk escorted me to my one-bedroom suite in the Serlas Wing, where a bottle of Champagne was chilling. — Denny Lee, Travel + Leisure, 26 July 2026 Bryan Murray barely missed a beat going from Anaheim to Ottawa, David Poile won a ton of games in Washington and then Nashville, and Lou Lamoriello exceeded all expectations with the Islanders. — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 24 July 2026 Schrinner didn't miss a beat and the bird moved off before the big digital Omega clock officially started counting down Thursday in the downtown Queen Street mall. — ABC News, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for miss a beat

Rhymes for miss a beat

See All Rhymes for miss a beat

Browse Nearby Words

Miss
miss a beat
missa cantata
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Miss a beat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/miss%20a%20beat. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of spindrift

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All