Beat Idioms

(English Idioms & Sayings) BEAT IDIOMS
beat a hasty retreat

- to retreat or withdraw very quickly
The soldiers beat a hasty retreat when the guerrillas attacked them.

beat a path to (someone's) door

- to come to someone in great numbers
The customers beat a path to the door of the computer game store.

beat around the bush

- to speak indirectly or evasively
"Stop beating around the bush and give us your final decision."

beat one's brains out

- to work very hard (to do something)
We beat our brains out in order to think of a name for the new magazine.

beat one's head against the wall

- to waste one's time trying to do something that is hopeless
I was beating my head against the wall to try and convince my friend to come to the restaurant.

beat (someone) to the punch/draw

- to do something before others
My friend beat me to the punch and arrived at the interview first.

beat (something) into (someone's) head

- to force someone to learn something
The teacher thinks that she must beat the material into the heads of the students.

beat the clock

- to finish something before the time is up
The basketball team worked hard to beat the clock and win the game.

beat the living daylights out of (someone)

- to beat someone severely
The two men beat the living daylights out of the man at the gas station.

beat the rap

- to escape conviction and punishment (for a crime)
The man beat the rap and did not have to go to jail.

beat the tar out of (someone)

- to beat someone severely
The older boy beat the tar out of the young boy in the schoolyard.

beat up (someone)

- to harm someone by hitting or beating them
The young boys beat up one of the older students.


Posted by Learning English through Idioms and Sayings