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to beat

to beat

1.4
To defeat another person or team in a contest
  • verb
  • /biːt/
translation icon : derrotar
  • And this past weekend, they beat A-Team of former pros.
  • beat other teams
  • hard to beat
  • try to beat

Who thinks, who thinks you could beat the chimps wrong?

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Examples

  • I could never beat her.

  • By the end of the evening, you'd beaten odds of more than six thousand to one.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • And his whole thing is to beat this game.

  • Anybody think they could beat that same guy?

  • If you can beat it, you can beat anything.

  • No, Commander, you could not even beat a family, huh?

  • More Chinese watched AI beat the best human Go player.

  • But bro, it's very hard to beat Wall Street.

  • So I'm going to predict that we beat Liverpool as well.

  • She trained hard to beat her opponent in the final match of the tournament.

Synonyms

to defeat
vsto beat
932 2.1

To beat someone in a game, fight, or contest

is a general act of being better in a competition
to crush
vsto beat
386 4.7

To defeat completely, often by force, ending a group or idea

is the everyday idea of doing better in a competition
to vanquish
vsto beat
  • Formal
109 7.2

Beat someone or something completely in a conflict

expresses general superiority in competition rather than total destruction
to get ahead
vsto beat
83 3.4

Do better than others, for example at work or school

means simply to be better in a contest, not just gain position
to outsmart
vsto beat
54 4.1

To get an advantage over someone by being clever

is neutral about method and can be by skill or effort
to beat out
vsto beat
49 3.8

Defeat others in a contest to win a job or prize

covers any way of being better, not only narrow margin wins
to outperform
vsto beat
30 4.8

Do better than someone or something

focuses on the general act of being superior in competition
to best
vsto beat
23 4.2

To defeat someone in a contest or game

is the broad idea of being better in a competitive situation
to outplay
vsto beat
14 4.2

Do better than and beat an opponent in a game

applies to any method of being better, not only in gameplay
to trounce
vsto beat
14 7.5

To beat an opponent by a large amount in a game or contest

is the broader notion of beating others, not necessarily decisively
to kick-ass
vsto beat
  • Offensive
11 8.7

To beat someone by a large amount in a contest or game

is a neutral term for being better, without strong emphasis on margin
to outwit
vsto beat
11 4.7

To beat someone by being more clever than them

covers any form of being better, not only by cleverness
to outfox
vsto beat
5 6.7

To beat someone by being more clever

is the general idea of being superior regardless of cleverness
3 5.3

To defeat someone by using their own methods

is the general act of being better without needing their tactics
to outcompete
vsto beat
2 6.1

To do better than someone or something and win

is the simple notion of being better in a contest
to overreach
vsto beat
1 7.9

To trick someone to gain an unfair advantage

is a straightforward term for being better without implying trickery
to kick some tail
vsto beat
  • Slang
1 8.8

Beat someone by a lot

is the plain concept of doing better in a competition

To win against other teams or companies in a contest

is the basic idea of being better in a contest or challenge
to overbeat
vsto beat
4.9

Defeat an opponent easily in a game or contest

covers any level of superiority, not only easy wins
to score off
vsto beat
  • UK
7.4

To get an advantage over someone by doing better than them

focuses on general superiority rather than the tactical advantage

Antonyms

1.0

Fail to win a game or contest

Idioms

To succeed despite great difficulty or low chances

to beat to a pulp
  • Offensive
15 7.6

Hit someone many times until they are badly hurt or win against them very clearly

To do something before someone else to get an advantage

on the beat
  • Literature
10 5.5

Working in one area, usually as a police officer or reporter

to skip a beat
  • Informal
9 6.1

To feel your heart stop for a moment because you are suddenly excited or scared

To finish something before the time runs out

To defeat someone by using their own methods

3 5.5

To act immediately and confidently without pausing

3 7.7

Win easily by a lot against another person or team

Search carefully in many places to find someone or something

To speak or act strongly to support a cause

to beat feet
  • Slang
2 9.0

To leave quickly to escape or avoid something

To move or act together at the same time in the same way

To work very hard or to threaten to hit someone

1 9.0

Hit someone many times until they are badly hurt

to beat my brain
  • Informal
1 8.2

To think very hard to remember something or to solve a problem

to beat the band
  • Informal
1 8.9

To do something with great energy and excitement

To leave a place quickly to avoid danger or trouble

To do much better than people expected

Push away a lot of people or fans as a joke about being too popular

9.1

Show deep regret by hitting your chest and crying

to beat one's meat
  • Offensive
9.9

To touch his own penis to feel sexual pleasure

To change weapons into tools for peaceful work like farming

to beat the bishop
  • Offensive
9.9

To touch your own private parts to make yourself sexually excited

9.9

Get up very early before sunrise

9.9

A person or thing that looks very ugly, said as a joke

7.5

Always alert and ready to react to news and events

Phrasal Verbs

to beat up
  • Offensive
271 4.1

To attack someone by hitting them again and again to hurt them

53 9.9

To hurt or defeat someone very badly, often by hitting them

49 3.8

Defeat others in a contest to win a job or prize

17 5.6

To avoid saying what you mean directly

14 6.0

To force someone or something to move away

to beat on
  • Informal
13 5.0

To keep going despite difficulty or to make a steady sound like rain on a roof

4 3.9

To shine or fall very strongly on a place

2 3.6

Make a rhythm by hitting something repeatedly, like a drum

Arrive before most people to avoid large groups

to beat off
  • Informal
1 8.1

Make animals or people who attack you go away

1 9.9

To defeat someone completely, often physically or in a game, used in rude speech

to beat down
  • Informal
1 4.9

To get someone to sell something for a lower price

to beat in
  • Informal
1 7.2

To train someone by repeating something until they learn it

Speak strongly in public to support a person, idea, or cause

To hit someone or something very hard and damage it

to pound a beat
  • Informal
1 7.7

Play a loud, strong rhythm on a drum or instrument

7.4

Move around looking for something in a worried or confused way

To seem weak or not convincing next to something better

To win against other teams or companies in a contest

To remove dust from rugs by hitting or shaking them

9.6

Hit someone many times so they become badly hurt

Compounds

2 8.0

A group of American writers and artists from the 1950s who reject social rules and choose free creative lives

beat combo
  • Archaic
1 6.5

A small band that plays rhythm music for dancing

beat music
  • Archaic
1 4.0

A style of pop rock from 1960s Britain with strong rhythms and simple melodies

staccato beat
  • Specialized
1 6.1

Short, sharp musical sounds that have clear gaps between notes

type beat
  • Jargon
7.7

A music track made in the style of a popular artist

How Decisive

to trounce
14 7.5
to beat
1.4
edge
310 3.8

Surface Forms

beat infinitive
beat past
beating present participle
beats third person singular
beaten past participle

Etymology

To beat someone in a game comes from the older idea of overpowering or striking an opponent, and so to beat in competition means to defeat or be better than someone.