beat
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
How often you will meet it
Rank 1,148 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 16,117 times across 155,139 chapters — 0.008% of every word in the library.
What it means
verb
- come out better in a competition, race, or conflict also: beat out, crush, shell, trounce, vanquish Agassi beat Becker in the tennis championshipWe beat the competition
- give a beating to; subject to a beating, either as a punishment or as an act of aggression also: beat up, work over Thugs beat him up when he walked down the street late at nightThe teacher used to beat the students
- hit repeatedly beat on the doorbeat the table with his shoe
- move rhythmically also: pound, thump Her heart was beating fast
- shape by beating beat swords into ploughshares
- make a rhythmic sound also: drum, thrum Rain drummed against the windshieldThe drums beat all night
beat in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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We shall see who can beat to-day.
Cornelli · Johanna Spyri · Chapter 1
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They beat him again, till their arms were tired, and staggered to bed.
Famous Stories Every Child Should Know · Hamilton Wright [Editor] Mabie · Chapter 1
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Never, never Brave me, nor my fury tempt: Downy wings, but wroth they beat Tempest even in reason’s seat.
John Marr and Other Poems · Herman Melville · Chapter 1
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Black clouds were driven furiously across the sky, torrents of rain and spray beat every now and then upon the window.
The Betrayal · E. Phillips (Edward Phillips) Oppenheim · Chapter 1
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Suddenly she flashed to the window and threw it open and beat on the stone sill and dragged her hands across it.
The Courage of the Commonplace · Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews · Chapter 1