BEATS Synonyms: 628 Similar and Opposite Words

beats 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of beat

as in licks

to strike repeatedly they attacked and beat him, but fortunately he'll be fine

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Relevance

as in defeats

to achieve a victory over she always beats everyone at checkers, but she's not as good at chess

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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

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loses (to)

as in throbs

to expand and contract in a rhythmic manner the patient's heart beats roughly 60 times per minute

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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

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as in frustrates

to prevent from achieving a goal you beat me to it

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as in draws

to shape with a hammer the medieval artisans who beat iron into exquisite swords

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as in glows

to shine with a bright harsh light the tropical sun beat down on our heads without mercy

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as in drums

to strike or cause to strike lightly and usually rhythmically beat the drum in a marching rhythm

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as in confuses

to throw into a state of mental uncertainty it beats me how that slipup happened

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as in circumvents

to avoid having to comply with (something) especially through cleverness he spends all of his time trying to beat the system

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as in grinds

to reduce to fine particles years of pounding had beaten the pebbles to a fine dust

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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

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beats

2 of 2

noun

plural of beat

as in blows

a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument delivered one hard beat on the drums

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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

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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

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as in heartbeats

a very small space of time within a beat he was on the phone complaining about an error in his bill

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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 beats

Verb

While electric razors can get the job done quickly, for many, nothing beats a proper shave with a blade. — Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026 Depth in one high-value workflow beats a shallow deployment across 10. — Boyan Wan, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 David Crowley beats Francesca Hong in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor. — Daniela Suarez, NBC news, 12 Aug. 2026 Ballistic stretching beats static stretching for court sports, according to Jim Hsu, MD, a Yale Medicine orthopedic surgeon quoted by Yale New Haven Health. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 6 Aug. 2026 This could be the first year that solar beats gas in California’s power mix. — Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 31 July 2026 When measured against the modern perimeter icons who preceded him, James beats Jordan and Bryant on points scored, Magic Johnson on assists dished and Larry Bird on titles won. — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 30 July 2026 In a blind rage after watching his brother die, Duke catches up to one of their assailants and beats him to death — with a crowd watching. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 July 2026 For reducing loneliness and political polarization, nothing quite beats community gardens. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 30 July 2026

Noun

The footage mixes high-speed chases and explosive action with comedic beats, framing a story built around chaos, mismatched heroism and rising stakes as the mission unfolds. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026 Hidden not too far under the heavy boom-bap beats are songs that anyone can relate to. — Joseph Hernandez august 20, Kansas City Star, 20 Aug. 2026 Klek worked in and out of the towering mix, dropping deliriously fun beats from his drum throne and continuously moving the music forward. — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026 Top- and bottom-line beats, including its first quarter of positive earnings-per-share (EPS) growth since 2023. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026 But, despite being billed as a limited series, a few story beats were left unresolved, including Rand’s pursuit of Priscilla. — Derek Lawrence, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026 Your favorite songs are often not a reflection of the artists who sing them, but the producers who make the beats. — Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 19 Aug. 2026 Why handwashing beats hand sanitizer at school Soap and water remain the first line of defense, especially before kids eat. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 18 Aug. 2026 The Charles-and-Magneto dynamic is so titanic that this franchise generally, and X-Men ’97 specifically, mimics its beats with various other pairs of characters. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for beats

Verb

Later, a woman protractedly licks blue ice cream from a cone, her attempts thwarted by ferocious gusts of wind and sand.

— Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
Food stands also debuted that year, with ribs sizzling along with the blues licks.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 9 June 2026

Definition of licks

Verb

Seven Democratic incumbents have lost their primaries so far, already tying with 2012 for the most Democratic House incumbent defeats this century.

— Chad de Guzman, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
Felix Rosenqvist defeats David Malukas at the Checkered Flag in the closest finish in Indianapolis 500 history in the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 24, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

— Bruce Martin, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of defeats

Verb

This pivot is significantly reshaping the company's revenue profile, as its cloud business already surpasses $214 billion annually.

— Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
That surpasses the count of cases in all of 2025 — 2,289 — which was fueled by a fatal outbreak in Texas where two children died.

— Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of surpasses

Verb

It was later amended to apply to 3,000 capacity or smaller venues, which exempted larger arenas and stadiums where many fans have felt the weight of rising ticket costs and where much of the secondary reselling market draws activity.

— Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026
Hoodoo draws heavily on older African religious practices introduced to North America through the transatlantic slave trade from the 16th to the 19th century.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of draws

Verb

Another light show game is the Black Light Tumble Tower that glows in the dark.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026
In a laboratory 2 kilometers underground, a crane lowers Matt Depatie, a detector technologist, through a hatch into a white-walled cavern filled with about 7,000 tons of ultrapure water that glows as blue as wiper fluid in the light.

— James Dinneen, Quanta Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026