backbeat

noun

back·​beat ˈbak-ˌbēt How to pronounce backbeat (audio)
: a steady pronounced rhythm stressing the second and fourth beats of a four-beat measure

Examples of backbeat 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.
My background is so much in bluegrass, and bluegrass is all about that choppy kind of backbeat thing with the mandolin. Tom Roland, Billboard, 8 Apr. 2025 Time has eroded some of Fair’s quirks, turning him into a preservationist weirdo who still believes in the eternal truth of three chords and a backbeat. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2025 An insistent backbeat kept Fantasy of a Broken Heart lively and muscular, but the off-center guitars provided an appealingly sour counterpoint that lent a sense of surprise to this group’s version of pop. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2025 The lyrics are complemented by a southern rock backbeat and swampy slide guitar that give the whole thing a chill vibe. Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for backbeat

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of backbeat was in 1928

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Cite this Entry

“Backbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backbeat. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

backbeat

noun
back·​beat -ˌbēt How to pronounce backbeat (audio)
: a steady pronounced rhythm stressing the second and fourth beats of a four-beat measure

More from Merriam-Webster on backbeat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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