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

Since Trump's inauguration, the stock market has swung wildly, reacting to a constant drumbeat of on-again, off-again tariffs, federal layoffs and spending freezes. —Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025

In the background of the political chaos is a steady drumbeat of enrollment declines, which could spell doom for a number of small private schools. —Emma Whitford, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025

After his re-election in November, the drumbeat for a strategic bitcoin reserve grew louder, helping send the price of the flagship cryptocurrency to new all-time highs. —Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 2 Mar. 2025

Context: There's been a steady drumbeat to legalize sports betting across the country since New Jersey did it in 2018. —Sami Sparber, Axios, 31 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