BESTING Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

besting

verb

present participle of best

as in defeating

to achieve a victory over at last she's bested her card-playing mother at the game of hearts

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 besting Fox won the English-language rights in 2011, besting incumbent ESPN with a $425 million bid for two cycles. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 22 Oct. 2026 As the unsuccessful regime-change effort in Iran demonstrated, there are no shortcuts to besting the axis countries, together or individually. — Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026 Allen won an overtime game for the first time in his career by besting Matthew Stafford, who passed for 383 yards and three touchdowns. — CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 The musical grossed a whopping $2,608,571, easily besting runner-up The Lion King‘s $1,700,873. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 29 Sep. 2026 The 48-year gap between his two most recent wins set a new record, besting the previous record holder, Reiner’s dad, Carl Reiner, according to Variety. — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2026 The Bears set a franchise record for points in an opener, besting a 45-7 win over the Packers in 1948. — Joseph Person, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2026 Even the National Weather Service’s Oxnard station wasn’t spared — topping out at 87 degrees, besting a record of 85 set in 1931. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026 The potentially final chapter of LIV's story being closed out with La Sasso besting the two biggest LIV stars was certainly a scene. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for besting

Verb

Fernandes points out the prevalence of tactical voting — when voters abandon their preferred candidate for one with a better chance of winning or defeating a rival — as an explanation for the first-round surprise in early October.

— Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
Eisenkot argued that Israel needed to concentrate its military resources on defeating Hamas in the south before embarking on another major conflict.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of defeating

Verb

Making a cup of coffee can be as simple as popping a pod into a machine or as complex as mastering a high-tech espresso machine.

— Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 21 Oct. 2026
Ward went on to join Ohio’s BalletMet and North Carolina Dance Theatre, mastering classical and neoclassical styles until his heart demanded a move beyond those orthodoxies.

— Guillermo Perez, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of mastering

Verb

Meanwhile, Eisenkot’s bloc, which consists of right-wing, centrist and left-wing parties, would get 54 seats, beating Netanyahu while still falling short of a clear victory.

— Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2026
The Chicago Bears were 8-0 for the first time since 1942, after beating the Minnesota Vikings 27-9 at Soldier Field.

— Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of beating

Verb

Her hours used to be filled with calls, note-taking and lengthy card disclosures.

— Lindsay Dodgson, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
Dallas Mavericks star Cooper Flagg exited Friday night's game against the Indiana Pacers with an apparent shoulder injury after taking a hard foul while attempting a layup.

— Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of taking

Verb

Marsh argued conquering the global market means knowing differences between international markets.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
Before conquering Hollywood, Ali played Division I basketball (standing at six feet four) and released rap albums under the name Prince Ali.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of conquering

Verb

That nonprofit group has been building resilience in lower-resource countries for over a decade, dispatching coaches and mentors to educate and train local healthcare students and practitioners as well as building financial and material resources.

— Diane Cole, NPR, 20 Oct. 2026
More important than the figures themselves is the engine’s broad, effortless power delivery, which makes the Carrera T feel eager whether carving through a mountain road or dispatching a stretch of freeway.

— Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of dispatching

Browse Nearby Words

bestiary

besting

bestir

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Besting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besting. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of besting

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes