without missing a beat
4
5.5
- idiom
- Informal
- She responded to the question without missing a beat, showing her confidence and preparedness.
- replied without missing a beat
- said without missing a beat
- continued without missing a beat
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Watch on YouTubeAnd literally in that moment, my father, without missing a beat, smiled.
- And literally in that moment, my father, without missing a beat, smiled.
- And the PR person is extroverted and gregarious and can schmooze like, nonstop without missing a beat.
Examples
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Mrs. Ackerman barges right into the bedroom, almost catching Mom, who expertly snaps back to normal without missing a beat.
Fiction book (1994) -
And then finally, without missing a beat, the Hummingbird says, I'm doing the best I can.
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John goes back to work without missing a beat.
Fiction book (1991) -
And really, without missing a beat, Lowell said, oh, you could do much better than that.
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And literally in that moment, my father, without missing a beat, smiled.
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I loved being able to play Super Mario Brothers U anywhere in my apartment without missing a beat.
Blog text (17) -
Without missing a beat or losing his smile, Dumont turned and pointed at the man.
Fiction book (1992) -
Exhausted at last, Jonathan fell asleep on the rug, where Father Tim stepped over him without missing a beat.
Fiction book (1999) -
Without missing a beat, Errol looks at her and says, "No, it's my granddaughter."
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The band is now playing Manhattan - Almsy, without missing a beat, begins to sing, replacing the words with alternatives he knows.
Fiction book (1996)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
At once without waiting
915
1.0
Without any delay
310
1.0
Right away without any delay
237
1.0
Immediately without delay
49
3.2
Right away without any hesitation
22
3.2
Without delay after something happens
21
3.7
Very quickly and without delay
19
3.5
Quickly and with a lot of energy to get things done
14
3.0
Immediately without delay
14
1.0
Do something at once without delay
13
4.2
Immediately and without delay
6
2.4
To act quickly without delay
3
6.0
Very quickly and without hesitation
2
6.6
Without showing surprise or worry
2
6.6
Immediately without any delay
1
7.2
In a very short time
Antonyms
How Quickly
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'missing' + 'a beat' literally suggest failing to keep a rhythm, which maps onto the idea of pausing or hesitating, so a learner who knows the words can often infer 'without pause' or 'immediately'. However, the metaphorical extension from musical rhythm to fluent, confident response is not purely compositional and may require exposure to the idiomatic usage, making it only partially predictable for a B1 learner.
Etymology
Without missing a beat comes from music: if a musician misses a beat they lose the rhythm, while keeping every beat means they continue smoothly. So, the expression now means 'right away and without pause', doing something smoothly and confidently.