beat (up) 1 of 2

verb

Definition of beat (up)next
as in to work (over)

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

beat-up

2 of 2

adjective

ˈbēt-ˌəp How to pronounce beat-up (audio)
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect drives the same beat-up truck he had in high school

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of beat (up)
Adjective
But like the handsome, burgundy Chevy that actually pulls up onstage (one curious anachronism among several), Lane doesn’t have the air of a beat-up workhorse. — Naveen Kumar, Variety, 10 Apr. 2026 Takashi Murakami wore a beat-up chore jacket to a Nike event during the NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angels. — Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 31 Mar. 2026 Al was already a hobbyist buyer of Maxfield Parrish prints, beat-up old oriental rugs, and velvet Victorian furniture, and collecting soon became a joint effort. — Wendy Goodman, Curbed, 16 May 2026 The recto portrays, in exactingly realistic detail, a locked and beat-up steel rolldown gate, as only the Lower East Side knows them, perforated with 15 black holes begging to be poked through. — Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for beat (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beat (up)
  1. dilapidated
  2. neglected
Adjective
  • Sixteen children from the same family who were rescued from a dilapidated home in rural Ohio were living in wretched conditions with human waste all around, confined to just one room over much of the past four years, authorities said Wednesday.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • The parents and grandparents of 16 children found living in a dilapidated house in southern Ohio were arraigned Wednesday on more than a dozen felony child endangerment charges, officials said.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 1 July 2026
Definition of dilapidated
Adjective
  • Changing their environment is more reliable and more neglected.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • Cinematographer Guillermo Garza shoots neglected settings like fine art, embracing the grime.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of neglected

Browse Nearby Words

beat the pants off
beat (up)
beat-up
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beat (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beat%20%28up%29. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All