drumbeat

noun

drum·​beat ˈdrəm-ˌbēt 

1

: a stroke on a drum or its sound

also : a series of such strokes

2

: vociferous advocacy of a cause

3

: drumfire sense 2

drumbeater

ˈdrəm-ˌbē-tər 

noun

drumbeating

ˈdrəm-ˌbē-tiŋ 

noun

Synonyms

• barrage
• blitz
• blitzkrieg
• bombardment
• cannonade
• drumfire
• flurry
• fusillade
• hail
• salvo
• shower
• storm
• volley

Examples of drumbeat in a Sentence

I could hear the drumbeat of a parade down the street.

a dizzying drumbeat of interviews in the hours following her winning of the Academy Award

Recent Examples on the Web

Her accusations set off a drumbeat within the legal world urging Judge Ho to look deeply into the federal government’s motives. —Hurubie Meko, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025

Pritzker in recent weeks also has kept up a steady drumbeat of criticism against Trump. —Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025

Rubio’s task, then, appears to be keeping up a drumbeat of public praise for Trump’s initiative while trying to quietly ensure that the president’s regional ambitions don’t go awry as a result. —Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2025

There was a steady drumbeat this season about doing whatever necessary to keep offensive coordinator Liam Coen in Tampa Bay. —John Romano, Orlando Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for drumbeat

• amit
• athlete
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete

Kids Definition

drumbeat

noun

drum·​beat ˈdrəm-ˌbēt 

: a stroke on a drum or its sound