beatdown

noun

beat·​down ˈbēt-ˌdau̇n How to pronounce beatdown (audio)
Synonyms of beatdownnext
1
US, informal : a violent physical beating
… said his own client was badly hurt in a beatdown by NYPD officers …—Shayna Jacobs
2
US, informal : an emphatic or overwhelming defeat
… he was sitting in his Eugene hotel room, … while absorbing a beatdown in PlayStation 3 boxing from his 10-year-old brother Seth.—Tim Layden

Examples of beatdown in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Friday's beatdown was historic on a couple of different levels. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026 Kenny said the ongoing beef stemmed from a prior assault in January, in which the individual who incited the beatdown jumped Pierre. — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026 No amount of macho beatdowns in the UFC cage matches on the White House lawn will make anyone forget Epstein’s depredations. — Maureen Dowd, Mercury News, 18 June 2026 Wing-backs Keito Nakamura and Ritsu Doan are encouraged to get forward and turn transitional moments into a five-vs-four beatdowns. — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 14 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for beatdown

Word History

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beatdown was in 1913

Rhymes for beatdown

See All Rhymes for beatdown

Browse Nearby Words

beatboxing
beatdown
beatemest
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Cite this Entry

“Beatdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beatdown. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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