beat
verb (used with object)
to strike violently or forcefully and repeatedly.
were beating
-
past progressiveof beat.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Americans’ wages grew faster than inflation in June after two months when prices — especially at the gas pump — were beating the growth in their paychecks.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
But while they were dropping points, Ukraine were beating Azerbaijan 2-1 in the Polish city of Krakow -- Oleksiy Hutsuliak and Ruslan Malinovskiy scored for Ukraine either side of a Vitaliy Mykolenko own goal.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2025
The Baltimore Ravens were beating the Buffalo Bills by a score of 20 to 13.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2025
The last time Bruce Arena and Dave Sarachan stood together on the sidelines at Dignity Health Sports Park, the Galaxy were beating the Colorado Rapids in the MLS Western Conference semifinals.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2025
I trembled as I tore a cartridge with my teeth; but our antagonist and his friends, outnumbered and outflanked, were beating a retreat, ducked low, into an alley.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
