as in defeating
to achieve a victory over
at last she's bested her card-playing mother at the game of hearts
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Recent Examples of besting
Temperature at kickoff was a 69 degrees, which is the warmest on record in Denver, besting the old mark of 67 degrees in 1956.
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CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
Those vying to dethrone the champions, a 30-6 Oklahoma City team after Sunday night’s 108-105 loss to the Phoenix Suns, likely can’t do so with merit until besting these Thunder in a seven-game series.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
This was a record turnaround among SpaceX launches from Space Coast launch pads at 2 hours and 54 minutes besting October’s double launch that saw a Falcon 9 launch at CCSFS just eight hours, 42 minutes after a Falcon Heavy launch at KSC.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2026
Toney already holds the school record for catches in a season after besting Restrepo’s mark of 85 catches from his 2023 season.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026
While the vacuum industry is besting itself over the years, including robot helpers with AI capabilities, cordless vacuums are not lagging behind thanks to slimmer, more streamlined bodies, longer run times, and upgraded wet-dry features.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2025
That set a new record for female spaceflyers, besting NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson's total time by 1 hour, 45 minutes.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 21 Dec. 2025
The survey showed Ocasio-Cortez besting the vice president by 2 points.
—Steff Danielle Thomas, The Hill, 20 Dec. 2025
Those involve besting a fellow warrior in battle.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for besting
Verb
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This came on the heels of another fleeting feel-good moment for the Rangers (20-18-6), who opened the new year by defeating the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers in Friday’s Winter Classic.—
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Zinke faced close races during his second House tenure however, winning his seat in the 2022 midterms by around three points before defeating the same opponent during the 2024 presidential election by more than seven points.—
Verb
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The team overcoming those injuries defined the season.—
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The search company has been on the rise after putting together the pieces for its AI comeback and overcoming key regulatory hurdles last year.—
Verb
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Advocacy isn’t about mastering policy jargon or tracking every bill.—
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But there can also be peace in mastering it.—
Verb
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Broomfield city councilman Kenny Nguyen was appointed to serve House District 33 on Monday night, narrowly beating fellow councilwoman Heidi Henkel in a 16-15 vote.—
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The Bruins won for the fifth time in six games despite going 0 for 6 on the power play a day after beating the Rangers 10-2.—
Verb
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But in 1999, just months after Luke was born, Andrea attempted suicide by taking an overdose of medication prescribed for her father, who was ill.—
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Someone had ordered pizza to the home, and a delivery driver spent some time ringing the doorbell before returning to his car, taking the pies with him.—
Verb
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Food and drink All-conquering culinary Alpinist Jean-Georges Vongerichten has planted his flag in Dublin at Jean-Georges at The Leinster.—
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The key to conquering such a bold shade?—
Verb
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Providence Fire Department officials quickly declared a mass casualty incident, according to records, with the department dispatching rescue task forces and requesting ballistic protection for medics who were ordered to standby until police could secure each scene.—
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As reported by local outlet Cleveland19, and per the police statement, police stated that officers responded immediately, dispatching all available patrol units and detectives due to the seriousness of the report and potential public danger.—
Cite this Entry
“Besting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/besting. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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