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

Brunson beats defenders with skill and not size, relying on footwork, fakes and spins that create angles to get his shot off against taller defenders. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026 Mount Union beats Marietta 57-0 for its 100th consecutive regular-season victory. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 In our card game, the higher card always beats the lower one. — Dana MacKenzie, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026 Player of the Week Senior forward Andrew Guzy records a hat trick and adds an assist as Lemont beats Evergreen Park 9-0 to clinch the South Suburban Blue title. — Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026 For Mac users who just need the essentials at home or work, a single payment beats another recurring bill. — Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026 Other weeks, an entire team attacks a driver by a hot dog stand and beats the snot out of him. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026 This beats air into the butter and helps evenly distribute the sugar, resulting in a crisp yet tender crust. — Martha Stewart, 9 Oct. 2026 The loneliness is accentuated by the jittery, dreaminess of his club beats for the headphones that make even the goofiest songs seem personal. — Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026

Noun

The beats create ample negative space for Holden to employ riskier flows, often deploying a double-time pace to burn through technically dense passages. — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026 The insurer saw shares jump 5% on the back of top- and bottom-line beats for the third quarter. — Ananya Chetia,darla Mercado, Cfp®, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 Instead, polskas emphasize the first and third beats, creating a loping sort of feeling. — David Harris, SPIN, 12 Oct. 2026 Toliver remembers fifth-grade choir, and the other kids who would get together after class to make beats and rap. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2026 There are different frame rates given it goes from full-speed to slow motion, and it’s timed to the beats of the music, which then have to be played two or three times as fast in order for the actors to properly hit their marks. — Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026 Regarding any of the movie’s more controversial beats, however, Altman shrugs it all off. — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026 For example, if your goal is to maintain a rate of 110 steps per minute, look for playlists that feature songs with tempos around 110 beats per minute (BPM). — Jenessa Connor, HEALTH, 5 Oct. 2026 In 2011, Joe Kay debuted Soulection as a college radio show at Cal State Long Beach, spinning rare B-sides, progressive beats, inventive flips of classic records and soulful underground tracks. — Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for beats

Verb

That glib self-confidence is present in McNamara, who licks the doughnut glaze off his fingers before offering his hand to the female detective questioning the one living Jason.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of licks

Verb

In the final race of his career, 3-year-old Man O War defeats 1919 Triple Crown winner Sir Barton in a match race, the Kenilworth Park Gold Cup.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
This eventually defeats Other Mommy, leaving the happy family of three intact — even though there’s subtext that Bela will always have a little discomfort around her mother.

— William Earl, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of defeats

Verb

Brady, who has 187 regular-season victories, surpasses Hall of Famer Brett Favre (186) and Peyton Manning (186) for the most regular-season victories by a starting quarterback in NFL history.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Its best parts have a grandeur that surpasses its industrial settings and gets at something eerie and transcendent.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of surpasses

Verb

Between the two telescopes, the blue and red Trifid Nebula glows to the left of the larger and redder Lagoon Nebula, all within the Sagittarius constellation.

— Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Show Caption 1 of 43 A Chicago Bears digital billboard glows at sunrise just off of Route 53 at the former Arlington International Racecourse on May 23, 2025, in Arlington Heights.

— Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026