beatdown
noun
beat·down
ˈbēt-ˌdau̇n 
1
US, informal
: a violent physical beating
… said his own client was badly hurt in a beatdown by NYPD officers …—
Shayna Jacobs
2
US, informal
: an emphatic or overwhelming defeat
… he was sitting in his Eugene hotel room, … while absorbing a beatdown in PlayStation 3 boxing from his 10-year-old brother Seth.—Tim Layden
Examples of beatdown in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This is a comedy about infidelity and divorce, but the unpredictable way its scenes unfold — a sudden car crash here, an extended beatdown there — reflect the totally unmoored nature of these characters’ lives.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Then, Finn Balor and JD McDonagh got involved and gave Cena a beatdown as well.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 1 Dec. 2025
Although the rest of the district got bounced, Argyle flexed its strength with a 56-0 beatdown of Lucas Lovejoy, a squad led by former Southlake Carroll head coach Todd Dodge, a seven-time state champion.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Nov. 2025
The beatdown sparked a local and national debate about crime, public safety and race in the Queen City.
—Jennifer Edwards Baker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 30 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Beatdown.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beatdown. Accessed 7 Dec. 2025.
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