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.
They make this sort of wobbly, quiet kind of relaxed jazz that has a wonderful beat to it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2022
Three years later, I heard that two young English guys called DNA had put a beat to it – and I cringed.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 18, 2016
"You give Mick a song and have a good beat to it, he can entertain anyone," Watts said.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 13, 2012
John Erskine went to retrieve the puck but was beat to it by Wilson and lost his stick at the same time.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 16, 2011
"Notice the hammer beat to it and then the earth rumble, like pounding nails in a coffin box and rattling the earth on top of the box after it is lowered."
From The Last Shot by Palmer, Frederick
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.
