take a beating

idiom

: to be beaten badly in a game or contest

The team took a beating in last night's game.

—often used figuratively to suggest a setback or loss

Our plans took a real beating from the review committee.

Many investors took quite a (bad) beating when the stock market crashed.

Examples of take a beating in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Your bag should be able to take a beating and literally weather the storm, keeping all your belongings safe in any condition. —

Christina Liao, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024 Apple's iPhones are designed to be very durable, take a beating, and last a long time. —

Tim Bajarin, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024 Although the Russian army continues to take a beating—September was reportedly its deadliest month since the war began—its offensive in Donetsk is chipping away at Ukrainian defensive positions. —

Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 The Tron 1 can likewise take a beating, as it's designed primarily for use by engineers as a testbed platform for humanoid robot motion control and embodied intelligence research. —

Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for take a beating

Cite this Entry

Style

“Take a beating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20a%20beating. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation