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Synonyms

beats me

Idioms  

  1. This baffles or puzzles me, as in I don't know how he does it—beats me! This term originally may have alluded to a winning poker hand. It may also be related to the even earlier usage of beat for “astonished” or “at a loss.” [Slang; mid-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.

So I got a trainer — his name is Robbie Egan — and Robbie comes to my house at 5 o’clock in the morning before I start work and beats me up.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026

“He beats me some reps, I get him some reps. That’s what it’s all about, that’s the name of the game — getting better,” Neal said.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 30, 2022

Johnson explained: "If Fedor beats me, this definitely is not going to be his last fight. If he gets a win over me, he will get a chance to potentially fight for the belt again."

From BBC • Oct. 22, 2021

Each time the computer beats me, I’m reminded of the ways humanity can survive a biological apocalypse.

From Slate • Mar. 6, 2020

I’m loading up my next “When you gone tell” but she beats me to it.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

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.