26984 words

beat

32 definitions • 63 examples
1
to defeat or do better than:

Examples:

beat someone at something Simon always beats me at tennis.
The Miami Heat beat the Pacers by five points, 95-90.
Holland beat Belgium (by) 3–1.
Our team was comfortably/easily/soundly beaten in the first round of the competition.
He beat me fair and square (= without cheating).
They were beaten hands down (= completely) by their opponents.
beat a record She has beaten her own record of three minutes ten seconds.
2
to be better or more enjoyable than another activity or experience:

Examples:

beat the hell out of slang Taking the bus beats the hell out of (= is much better than) walking all the way there.
you can't beat You can't beat (= there is nothing more enjoyable than) a cold beer on a hot afternoon.
[ + -ing verb ] Taking the bus sure beats walking.
3
To beat something that is going to happen is to take action before the thing happens:

Examples:

beat the rush I always do my shopping early to beat the rush.
Let's try to beat the traffic by leaving early in the morning.
4
to do something before someone else does it:

Examples:

I was just going to clean the kitchen, but you beat me to it.
5
to hit repeatedly:

Examples:

beat down The rain was beating down incessantly on the tin roof.
be beaten to death She was beaten to death.
They saw him beating his dog with a stick.
The child had been brutally/savagely beaten.
[ + obj + adj ] He was beaten senseless.
Beat the drum.
6
to form a path in an area where long grass or bushes grow closely together, by hitting the plants with your hands or an object, or by stepping on them:

Examples:

We beat a path through the undergrowth.
7
to mix something repeatedly using a utensil such as a spoon or whisk:

Examples:

To make an omelette you first beat the eggs.
8
to (cause to) make a regular movement or sound:

Examples:

The doctor could feel no pulse beating.
Her heart started to beat faster.
The hummingbird beats its wings at great speed.
9
to make a regular sound or movement to music:

Examples:

He beat time on the table to mark the rhythm of the poem.
10

Examples:

dead beat You've been working too hard—you look dead beat.
I'm beat - I'm going to bed.
11
a regular movement or sound, especially that made by your heart:

Examples:

skip a beat My heart skipped a beat (= I felt very excited) when she said, "Yes, I'll marry you."
I put my head on his chest but I could feel no heartbeat.
12
in music, a regular emphasis, or a place in the music where such an emphasis is expected:

Examples:

on the beat Make sure you play on the beat.
to the beat He tapped his foot to the beat (= rhythm) of the music.
The guitar comes in on the third beat.
13
an area for which someone, such as a police officer, has responsibility as part of their job:

Examples:

Bob has worked as an officer on this particular beat for 20 years.
14
A police officer who is on the beat or walking the beat is on duty, walking around rather than driving in a police car:

Examples:

Most people would like to see more bobbies on the beat in their area.
15
an important moment, event, or subject in a story, film, etc.:

Examples:

The moment is gruesome, but it’s also an important beat in the story.
16
to defeat a competitor, or to do or be better than someone or something:

Examples:

In football, the Giants beat the 49ers, 17-3.
Most people think that the governor will beat his opponent.
The room wasn’t much, but it beat driving to a hotel 20 miles away.
17
To beat something that is going to happen is to take action that will prevent it from having an effect on you:

Examples:

I leave work early to beat the traffic.
18
to hit repeatedly:

Examples:

[ T ] He looked as if he’d been beaten.
[ I ] The children were beating on the table.
19
to mix food with a fast circular motion:

Examples:

[ M ] Beat in the egg yolks.
20
to make a rhythmic sound or movement, or to hit something in rhythm to make such a sound:

Examples:

[ I ] I was so nervous I could feel my heart beating.
[ T ] He steadily beat the drum.
[ I ] Without calcium, your heart could not beat correctly.
21
an area for which someone, esp. a police officer, has responsibility as part of the job:

Examples:

People are comforted to see cops on the beat.
22
the rhythmic sound in music that repeats regularly:

Examples:

We clapped in time to the beat.
23

Examples:

I’m beat – I’m going to bed.
24
to do better than someone or something:

Examples:

Yesterday's close beat the record set Feb. 1.
With their lowest price guarantee, they will beat the price of a competitor's product by 10%.
beat estimates/expectations/forecasts Declines in shares of the world's biggest chip maker halted when the company beat expectations for profits.
They are selling the software packages at prices that are hard to beat.
25
to be more successful than other people or companies that you are competing against:

Examples:

The way to beat the competition is to recruit and retain talented staff.
26
to be eager to buy or get something from someone:

Examples:

By making furniture distinguished in design and workmanship, it has persuaded buyers to beat a path to its door.
27
to decide not to continue with something that has become too difficult or not worth doing:

Examples:

Most of the market beat a hasty retreat, investors being unimpressed by a volatile performance on Wall Street.
beat a retreat from sth The prime minister's cabinet continues to beat a retreat from many economic reforms.
28
to use the methods by which someone has tried to defeat you to your own advantage:

Examples:

By buying two competitors who tried to beat him at his own game, he created the three networks he now owns.
29
to achieve something before someone else does it:

Examples:

We got very close to buying the franchise last year before another company beat us to it.
30

Examples:

Many mergers fail to deliver value to shareholders, but the bank's new president thinks it will be able to beat the odds.
31
said when you accept that you cannot be as successful as someone else without doing what they do:

Examples:

If you can't beat them, join them. Beginning in February the domestic distributor will become the exclusive U.S. importer for the popular foreign brands.
32
to do something so well that it is difficult for anyone else to do better:

Examples:

The automaker has delivered an impressive hatchback car that will take some beating.

Navigation