1
as in pulse
a rhythmic expanding and contracting
he wears a pacemaker to help maintain a regular beating of his heart
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in defeat
failure to win a contest
took a beating and ended up in second place
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pounding
to strike repeatedly
they attacked and beat him, but fortunately he'll be fine
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in defeating
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 exceeding
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 throbbing
to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner
the patient's heart beats roughly 60 times per minute
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in flapping
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 frustrating
to prevent from achieving a goal
you beat me to it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in drawing
to shape with a hammer
the medieval artisans who beat iron into exquisite swords
Synonyms & Similar Words
8
as in burning
to shine with a bright harsh light
the tropical sun beat down on our heads without mercy
Synonyms & Similar Words
9
as in tapping
to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically
beat the drum in a marching rhythm
Synonyms & Similar Words
10
as in baffling
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
it beats me how that slipup happened
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
11
as in circumventing
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 grinding
to reduce to fine particles
years of pounding had beaten the pebbles to a fine dust
Synonyms & Similar Words
13
as in cheating
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
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of beating
Doha Madani, NBC News, 20 Feb. 2025
He was moved the day he was attacked and arrived at the Marcy prison just before the fatal beating began.
—Ed Shanahan, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Liam Hess, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2024
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
—Neda Ulaby, NPR, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for beating
Noun
Hochul ordered that 14 workers at the Marcy Correctional Facility be terminated after video of Brooks' beating surfaced.
—Doha Madani, NBC News, 20 Feb. 2025
He was moved the day he was attacked and arrived at the Marcy prison just before the fatal beating began.
—Ed Shanahan, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025
Verb
Ellen is really the beating heart of this story.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 23 Dec. 2024
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
—Neda Ulaby, NPR, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for beating
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beating
Noun
-
Deciphering mysterious pulses The research team believes there are two possible causes behind the pulses.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN,
14 Mar. 2025
-
This newer approach uses mild electrical pulses to promote blood vessel growth and improve circulation.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
As a result, Atlanta were able to enact revenge on The Bay who handed them their only defeat of the TGL season.—
Ben Morse,
CNN,
19 Mar. 2025
-
On the women’s side, JC Smith (7-18) opens against Livingstone — a team that swept the Golden Bulls with a pair of 13-point defeats in the regular season.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The crowd was so excited that the plexiglass behind us was pounding.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Dec. 2024
-
Prepare for fast, heart-pounding action and brutal competition in this multiplayer game.—
Dana Feldman,
Forbes,
28 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Crocs business continues to demonstrate strong overall performance, with a Q3 operating margin exceeding 25%, an impressive metric for a footwear company.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Enterprises in stages three and four, on the other hand, had financial performance well above industry average — exceeding 10 percentage points.—
Joe McKendrick,
Forbes,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The company built a retail and residential complex around the county’s Coconut Grove Metrorail station, and Martin also is pitching an incinerator site in western Miami-Dade as an alternative to the Levine Cava plan to rebuild the trash-burning facility in Doral.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
4 Jan. 2025
-
Detroit Free Press On a Friday afternoon in April 14 years ago, a Christian pastor known for burning Qurans stood in front of Dearborn City Hall along Michigan Avenue railing against Islam.—
Niraj Warikoo,
Detroit Free Press,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
As a result, terrorists and rogue states now have a harder time circumventing conventional financial controls.—
Henry Farrell,
Foreign Affairs,
23 Dec. 2024
-
On December 11, the European Union approved its 15th sanctions package against the Kremlin, targeting entities within Russia and third-party nations that facilitate upgraded military and technological capabilities by circumventing restrictions.—
Katya Soldak,
Forbes,
13 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
In a slow, grinding 3-2 Leafs win, Matthews carried the offensive load with a goal, a primary assist and flashes of dominant play reminiscent of his games last season.—
Joshua Kloke,
The Athletic,
8 Jan. 2025
-
Grindstones are thick disks of stone — often sandstone — used for grinding, sharpening, or polishing metal objects, or for milling grains into flour.—
Jalen Williams,
Detroit Free Press,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
And no, this isn’t some cheating scandal or love triangle.—
Chris Branch,
The Athletic,
31 Dec. 2024
-
Niemann, who had previously admitted to cheating in online games, denied Carlsen's allegations.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
28 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Beating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beating. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share