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

How they predicted some of the stuff, it beats me.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 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

But Sana beats me to it, and Mazen gives her a brief, annoyed look before gently lifting the seal.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Related Words

• baffling
• impenetrable
• inconceivable
• mystifying
• opaque
• puzzling
• unfathomable
• unimaginable
• unintelligible