miss a beat

Idioms

Hesitate momentarily, out of embarrassment or confusion. This expression is most often used in a negative context, as in He sidestepped the reporter's probe into his personal life without missing a beat, or Not missing a beat, she outlined all the reasons for her decision. This expression alludes to the regular beat of musical time. [Mid-1900s]

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.

See Examples For:

miss a beat

When I suggest he’d become the VHS messiah if he succeeds at resurrecting VCRs, Perry doesn’t miss a beat: “Nothing would please me more.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2026

We didn't miss a beat with Alex in the team and what still stands out now is how quickly he convinced me he was up to it.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026

The Serbian big man did not miss a beat.

From Barron's ● Jan. 31, 2026

And when Seattle signed him this past offseason, he didn’t miss a beat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026

Mom doesn’t miss a beat, almost like she was expecting it.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023