Beat a Record: Meaning, Usage & Examples (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：Surpass a sports record (Beat a record)

Beat a record 🔊

/biːt ə ˈrekərd/

In sports or a contest, to do better than the previous best achievement (the record).

A stopwatch showing a new faster time beside an old crossed out record time with a runner celebrating in the background

Surpass a sports record 🔊

➕

/sərˈpæs ə spɔːrts ˈrekərd/

To achieve a better result in a sports competition than the existing best result.

📁 Category：Entertainment & Sports 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Beat' from Old English 'bēatan'; 'record' from Latin 'recordari' (to remember).

💡 Mnemonic

Think of a drummer beating a drum faster than ever, setting a new speed record.

📖 Example

The young swimmer worked hard for years and finally beat the world record in the 100m freestyle. 🔊 The young swimmer worked hard for years and finally beat the world record in the 100m freestyle.

🔗 Collocations

beat the world record – surpass the existing global best in a specific sport

break a national record – exceed the best performance within a country

🔄 Synonyms

break a record (VP) – to surpass a previous record

shatter a record (VP) – to decisively surpass a record by a large margin

🚫 Antonyms

fall short of the record (VP) – to fail to reach the existing record

🌱 Derivatives

record-breaking (adj) – achieving a new record

record-setter (n) – a person who sets a new record

📖 Cultural Story

In sports, 'record' dates back to ancient Greece, where feats were chronicled. 'Beat a record' became common in the 19th century with organized competitions.

Meaning 2：Exceed all previous results (Beat a record)

Beat a record 🔊

/biːt ə ˈrekərd/

In daily life, to perform better in something (like work, study, sales) than ever before, reaching a new high.

A joyful team in an office high fiving with a chart on a screen showing sales skyrocketing past a previous peak

Exceed all previous results 🔊

➕

/ɪkˈsiːd ɔːl ˈpriːviəs rɪˈzʌlts/

To achieve a higher level of performance in any field than what was previously achieved.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

Our company's online store sales last month beat all previous records thanks to the successful marketing campaign. 🔊 Our company's online store sales last month beat all previous records thanks to the successful marketing campaign.

🔗 Collocations

beat all previous records – surpass every earlier achievement

set a new high score – establish a new best result

🔄 Synonyms

set a new benchmark (VP) – to establish a new standard for performance

outperform past results (VP) – to perform better than earlier achievements

🚫 Antonyms

fall below expectations (VP) – to not reach the expected level of performance