Synonyms of beat
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as in to lick
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as in to defeat
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as in to surpass
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as in to throb
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as in to flutter
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as in to frustrate
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as in to draw
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as in to glow
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as in to drum
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as in to confuse
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as in to circumvent
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as in to grind
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as in to cheat
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as in blow
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as in pulse
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as in rhythm
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as in minute
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as in tired
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Example Sentences
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Phrases Containing
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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
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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
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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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of beat
Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
In the near term, the overriding goal is to beat the Chinese to the lunar surface.
—Arkansas Online, 31 Mar. 2026
Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Jessica Hecht, playing one of the hostages, adds her typically off-beat depth, and I was most amused by John Ortiz as the FBI agent with the standard G-man voice and personality to match.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Shopping around Macy’s beat Wall Street’s top- and bottom-line expectations for the third quarter this morning, posting its strongest growth in more than three years.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beat
Verb
The Leafs overcame a 3-1 deficit with three goals in the third period, including Rielly’s snap shot from the high slot that beat Ducks goalie Ville Husso stick-side to give Toronto a 4-3 lead with three minutes left in regulation.
—Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
In the near term, the overriding goal is to beat the Chinese to the lunar surface.
—Arkansas Online, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
Times staff writer Ian James earned second place for outstanding beat reporting in the large division category for his coverage on water in the West, including stories on dying fish, the region’s megadrought and the dwindling Colorado River, among others.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
Jessica Hecht, playing one of the hostages, adds her typically off-beat depth, and I was most amused by John Ortiz as the FBI agent with the standard G-man voice and personality to match.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Past that, the Xavier school looks pretty beat to hell in the scenes before that.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 6 Jan. 2026
Shopping around Macy’s beat Wall Street’s top- and bottom-line expectations for the third quarter this morning, posting its strongest growth in more than three years.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beat
Verb
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Five caribou stood licking at the stain.—
Frank Glaser,
Outdoor Life,
1 Apr. 2026
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The department shared photos of Ziggy, still wearing a bandage on his left hind leg, jumping up and licking Spring's face during a recent visit.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In his March Madness brackets, Obama has the Arizona Wildcats men defeating the Duke Blue Devils (who have already been upset) and UConn's women's team winning it all.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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The Wolverines defeated the Mustangs in state semis last year and in 2021 and 2025 and won state title games against Grapevine in 2018 and 2022.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Later that day, the spacecraft will reach a distance of some 248,650 miles from Earth — the exact number is not yet known — equaling and then surpassing a record set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970.—
William Harwood,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Swooping around the moon's far side, the astronauts aboard Orion are expected to travel farther from Earth than any humans ever have – surpassing the record of 248,655 miles set in 1970 during the infamous Apollo 13 mission.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The collection consists of the sneaker brand’s UNO sneakers (which, PSA, are a fab Nike Air Max alternative), Arch Fit, and Slip-Ins—all of which include some of the most impressive cushioning and support, so your feet won’t throb after standing for hours in a field.—
Jessie Quinn,
StyleCaster,
19 Mar. 2026
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The smoke kept rising and the clouds continued to throb with sickly yellow-and-black whorls until just after sunset, when the boiling mass of vapor suddenly turned pink and scarlet, like a poisonous flower opening its petals.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As Ember brushed past to turn on the lamp, one of the sheets came unstuck and fluttered out into the hallway, caught in her slight draft.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
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Patrick Kane took a shot from the point that fluttered through traffic and bounced off Compher, who was parked at the goalpost.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Chris Kuhns, who worked as an investigator in the BOI for 20 years and wrote the shelved report into Ramirez’s death, was frustrated by the unit’s inability to accomplish what it was required to do by law.—
Joe Rubin,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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While experts say the funds are beginning to make a difference, the sluggish pace of spending in some communities, from the wine country of Grand Traverse County to mid-Michigan's Eaton County, has frustrated some state leaders.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The stars of that team, Deron Williams and Dee Brown, sat together at Saturday’s game, drawing huge cheers when they were shown on the video board.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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Surrounded by 28 acres of grapevines and rolling farmland, this beautiful resort draws its look from the working countryside with standalone-style only accommodations, luxury amenities, and a polished farm-house design.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hundreds of monarch butterflies are painted across the translucent panels, and when sunlight shines through, the structure glows in rich amber tones.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
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Steinfeld glowed in a gorgeous peachy-pink Prada gown covered in silver studs.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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