beat to it
Idioms-
Get ahead of someone to obtain something, as in There was only enough for one, so Jane ran as fast as she could in order to beat Jerry to it . [ Colloquial ; c. 1900]
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Also, . React more quickly than someone else. For example, The new salesman tried to serve one of my customers, but I beat him to the draw and Bill was determined to get there first and beat everyone else to the punch . The variants imply aggression to get ahead, draw alluding to the drawing of a pistol and punch to hitting with the fists. [Second half of 1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It works. It’s got a great beat to it, and a rhythm that kind of mimics running up and down stairs. It becomes the soundtrack of your activity of climbing up the treehouse.”
From Los Angeles Times
They make this sort of wobbly, quiet kind of relaxed jazz that has a wonderful beat to it.
From Los Angeles Times
There’s a group of people who will listen if it’s got that beat to it.”
From New York Times
“It actually had a beat to it originally, but I stripped it all the way because I wanted it to sound as raw as possible,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times
Even the guard who posted the video, Julius Locklear, admitted, “I’m posting it cause that rap was lit 😂😂😂😂😂 like I wish I could put a beat to it lol.”
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.