1
as in licks
to strike repeatedly
they attacked and beat him, but fortunately he'll be fine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in defeats
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 surpasses
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
as in throbs
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner
the patient's heart beats roughly 60 times per minute
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in flutters
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 frustrates
to prevent from achieving a goal
you beat me to it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
8
as in glows
to shine with a bright harsh light
the tropical sun beat down on our heads without mercy
Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in drums
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically
beat the drum in a marching rhythm
Synonyms & Similar Words
10
as in confuses
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
it beats me how that slipup happened
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in circumvents
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
as in grinds
to reduce to fine particles
years of pounding had beaten the pebbles to a fine dust
Synonyms & Similar Words
13
as in plucks
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 blows
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 pulses
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 rhythms
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 heartbeats
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of beats
Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Nothing beats the feeling of getting a new laptop.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 14 May 2026
Racine quickly rises, beats the bullies, and then returns to sit next to her sister.
—Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Nothing beats taking in the skyline views, gorgeous green spaces, and exciting landmarks that make each city unique.
—Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 May 2026
New York quite like this tune (though there is one a little later on the list that beats this puppy in that category).
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026
Nothing beats a weekend getaway to a small town.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
This region, famous throughout the world for Ferrari and Lamborghini and the best restaurant in the world in Osteria Francescana (although, frankly, nothing beats Rossella’s tagliatelle at La Montana) might one day also be renowned as the place Italian football reset and relaunched.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 7 May 2026
The noonday sun beats down on agave and sansevieria fields as Nate Berkus accompanied a group of design aficionados on a tour of a working henequen farm in Yucatán.
—Ingrid Abramovitch, Architectural Digest, 6 May 2026
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 May 2026
The beats just don’t quite land.
—ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
Iceman is the blockbuster rap album, packed with his heaviest beats in years.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 15 May 2026
Loosely based on a controversial hypothesis, the show is built on familiar but very well-executed beats.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 14 May 2026
As Kristen gets sicker, the film hits other cancer movie beats like a trip up the coast to a snowy mountain, complete with Kristen, AJ, her brother, and their friend taking cheesy photos all along the way.
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
Away from Big Oil's headline beats, Clark Williams-Derry, analyst at energy think tank IEEFA, saidthat energy giants took on significant short-term debt and drew down their cash reserves in the first quarter.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 12 May 2026
No narrative surprises here but hot beats, cool tunes and sensual performances abound.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Kelli Reynolds is a script supervisor for Inspiration, the language learning model that has copyrighted not just archetypal characters, but all tropes and plot beats, so that no human can access or create new stories.
—Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
Verb
Jean-Sebastien Giguere stops 35 shots for his third straight shutout, and Anaheim beats Minnesota 4-0 for a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.
—Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026
Nothing beats the feeling of getting a new laptop.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 14 May 2026
Racine quickly rises, beats the bullies, and then returns to sit next to her sister.
—Jourdain Searles, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Nothing beats taking in the skyline views, gorgeous green spaces, and exciting landmarks that make each city unique.
—Jamie Spain, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 May 2026
New York quite like this tune (though there is one a little later on the list that beats this puppy in that category).
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026
Nothing beats a weekend getaway to a small town.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 9 May 2026
This region, famous throughout the world for Ferrari and Lamborghini and the best restaurant in the world in Osteria Francescana (although, frankly, nothing beats Rossella’s tagliatelle at La Montana) might one day also be renowned as the place Italian football reset and relaunched.
—James Horncastle, New York Times, 7 May 2026
The noonday sun beats down on agave and sansevieria fields as Nate Berkus accompanied a group of design aficionados on a tour of a working henequen farm in Yucatán.
—Ingrid Abramovitch, Architectural Digest, 6 May 2026
Noun
Certain beats from Club Kid, the ebullient new movie written, directed by, and starring Jordan Firstman, keep coming back to me like morning-after flashbacks of an epic night out.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 May 2026
The beats just don’t quite land.
—ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
Iceman is the blockbuster rap album, packed with his heaviest beats in years.
—Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 15 May 2026
Loosely based on a controversial hypothesis, the show is built on familiar but very well-executed beats.
—David Faris, TheWeek, 14 May 2026
As Kristen gets sicker, the film hits other cancer movie beats like a trip up the coast to a snowy mountain, complete with Kristen, AJ, her brother, and their friend taking cheesy photos all along the way.
—Marya E. Gates, IndieWire, 13 May 2026
Away from Big Oil's headline beats, Clark Williams-Derry, analyst at energy think tank IEEFA, saidthat energy giants took on significant short-term debt and drew down their cash reserves in the first quarter.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 12 May 2026
No narrative surprises here but hot beats, cool tunes and sensual performances abound.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
Kelli Reynolds is a script supervisor for Inspiration, the language learning model that has copyrighted not just archetypal characters, but all tropes and plot beats, so that no human can access or create new stories.
—Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beats
Verb
-
At one point A’zion licks the digitally de-aged Mick Jagger’s face.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
-
For good measure, Marty Supreme actress Odessa A’zion literally licks the face of the Stones frontman, who in real life is 82 years old.—
SPIN Staff,
SPIN,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Levin said the new policy effectively defeats the purpose of unannounced oversight visits.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
This time, though, he's already somewhat sidelined by the introduction of Johnny Cage (Karl Urban), and then he's stunningly killed during a fight with Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford), who defeats him and crushes his head.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
With a cast drawn from comedy-scene friends such as Kate Berlant and Conner O’Malley all tuned into a very specific wavelength, the movie somehow surpasses conventional notions of camp and irony to exist in a genuinely unique space all its own.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
Criminologists point out that society can create a narrative — whether based on reality or an exaggeration of it — that dominates culture and surpasses the motives of one person.—
Lorena O’Neil,
Rolling Stone,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
My boredom typically spurs feelings of frustration, guilt, shame—and long nutritionless spells of goggling, slack-jawed, at celebrity news on my phone while the world throbs around me.—
Daniel Smith,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Pain that is not a word throbs in his shoulders, awakens him each morning.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Iran’s flag before the 1979 revolution — green, white and red with a lion and a rising sun — flutters from many overhangs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel (center) flutters a Venezuelan and Cuban national flags in support of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in Havana.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
3 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When the cityscape frustrates urban photographers with uneven terrain or limited spaces, photographic gear company Silence Corner strikes back with the Viperpod – a hybrid tripod designed to hang anywhere in seconds for unencumbered solo shooting.—
Shirl Leigh
May 06,
New Atlas,
6 May 2026
-
What frustrates me is that the Board has invoked emergency powers for rent policy while failing to declare an actual public health emergency for unsheltered homelessness — the one domain where the legal, moral, and practical case is overwhelming.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
Remarkably, their five league draws this season have resulted from equalising goals conceded in the 96th, 92nd, 94th, 97th and 88th minutes, the last three of which — against Paris FC, Strasbourg and Nice — were all penalties.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
The beaches are also great for swimming and shelling, and the free Venice Fishing Pier draws anglers as well as wildlife watchers and sunset viewers.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Below, sits Altair, while Deneb glows to the left, representing the tail of the great swan in the constellation Cygnus.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
11 May 2026
-
It can be used as a nightlight, glows in seven colors and features a selection of soothing soundscapes.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Beats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beats. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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