What are the phrasal verbs with “Beat” in English?

Phrasal verbs are an integral part of the English language, and learning them is essential to achieving fluency in English. One verb that is often used as a phrasal verb is “beat”. While “beat” by itself has the general meaning of beating someone in a contest or hitting something or someone hard many times, adding a preposition can change its meaning significantly. In this article, we will look at some commonly used phrasal verbs with “beat” and their meanings in order to better understand these expressions.

TOP 20 Phrasal Verbs with “Beat”

Let’s consider the TOP 20 phrasal verbs with “beat”, as well as their meaning and examples of use:

1. Beat up

   • Meaning 1:To physically harm or assault someone.
     • Example: The gang beat up the innocent bystander.
   • Meaning 2: To damage or wear out through use.
     • Example: The old car was beaten up after years of rough driving.

2. Beat down

   • Meaning: To strike something repeatedly, or to subject someone to constant pressure or criticism.
     • Example: The storm beat down on the roof all night.
   • Meaning: Get someone to lower the price of something.
     • Example: I managed to beat him down ten dollars.
   • Meaning: Strong sunshine.
     • Example: The sun was really beating down, but we had sunglasses

3. Beat out

   • Meaning 1: To defeat or surpass someone or something in a competition.
     • Example: The underdog team beat out their rivals and won the championship.
   • Meaning 2: To extinguish a fire by striking it repeatedly.
     • Example: The firefighters had to beat out the flames.

4. Beat back

   • Meaning: To repel or force an enemy or attacker to retreat.
     • Example: The soldiers successfully beat back the enemy forces.

5. Beat off

   • Meaning: To defend oneself against an attacker or criticism.
     • Example: She managed to beat off the muggers with a can of pepper spray.

6. Beat into

   • Meaning:To teach or instill something in someone repeatedly until they understand or remember.
     • Example: The professor had to beat the importance of research into the students’ minds.

7. Beat about

   • Meaning: To talk vaguely or evasively without getting to the main point.
     • Example: He kept beating about the bush instead of addressing the real issue.

8. Beat around

   • Meaning: Similar to “beat about,” it denotes avoiding a direct or honest answer.
     • Example: Stop beating around the question and give a straight answer.

9. Beat in

   • Meaning: To force entry or gain access by breaking or smashing.
     • Example: The burglars tried to beat in the door to the house.

10. Beat on

    • Meaning: To criticize or berate someone continuously.
      • Example: The boss constantly beat on the employees for their mistakes.

11. Beat out of

    • Meaning: To deceive or swindle someone out of something.
      • Example: The scam artist beat the unsuspecting couple out of their life savings.

12. Beat down upon

    • Meaning: To oppress or weigh heavily on someone.
      • Example: The responsibilities of the job beat down upon him, causing stress.

13. Beat through

    • Meaning: To endure or persevere through a difficult situation.
      • Example: Despite the challenges, she managed to beat through the tough times.

14. Beat to

    • Meaning: To arrive somewhere before a specified time.
      • Example: He wanted to beat to the party early to help with the preparations.

15. Beat over

    • Meaning: To discuss a topic in detail or excess.
      • Example: They spent the entire evening beating over the same problem.

16. Beat somewhere

    • Meaning: To arrive at a place sooner than the expected time.
      • Example: By taking a shortcut, she managed to beat the afternoon traffic and reach home early.

17. Beat all

    • Meaning: To be surprised or shocked.
      • Example: It beats all that he managed to get a visa in just one day.

18. Beat hearts

    • Meaning: To feel the same way or have the same emotions as someone else.
      • Example: He realized that they both were beating the same hearts and confessed his love.

19. Beat by

    • Meaning: To win or defeat someone by a narrow margin.
      • Example: The team managed to beat their rivals by just one point.

20. Beat the clock

    • Meaning: To complete a task or reach a destination before a deadline.
      • Example: We had to beat the clock to finish the project on time.

Understanding these phrasal verbs and knowing how to use them accurately in context can serve as a powerful tool in enhancing your conversational skills and deepening your understanding of English nuance. Remember, context is key when you are selecting the appropriate phrasal verb, as it can impact the tone and clarity of your communication. Practice them in sentences, listen for them in English media, and you’ll find yourself recognizing and using them more naturally in no time.