: 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
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
The ascent from quiet guitar picking to soul backbeat to power chords feels inevitable but satisfying.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Advertisement What had been the backbeat of a bygone epoch, the waltz amazingly survived in the 20th century.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Along with resonate vocals from both, credit Mars’ rhythmic instincts for including drums that power the urgency of the song’s lyrics, with fills nudging the chorus instead of existing merely as a backbeat.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for backbeat
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.
Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025
The ascent from quiet guitar picking to soul backbeat to power chords feels inevitable but satisfying.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Advertisement What had been the backbeat of a bygone epoch, the waltz amazingly survived in the 20th century.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Along with resonate vocals from both, credit Mars’ rhythmic instincts for including drums that power the urgency of the song’s lyrics, with fills nudging the chorus instead of existing merely as a backbeat.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for backbeat
Cite this Entry
“Backbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backbeat. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
backbeat
noun
back·beat
-ˌbēt 
: a steady pronounced rhythm stressing the second and fourth beats of a four-beat measure
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share