: a steady pronounced rhythm stressing the second and fourth beats of a four-beat measure
Examples of backbeat in a Sentence
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The ascent from quiet guitar picking to soul backbeat to power chords feels inevitable but satisfying.
—
Jon Pareles, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Advertisement What had been the backbeat of a bygone epoch, the waltz amazingly survived in the 20th century.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Along with resonate vocals from both, credit Mars’ rhythmic instincts for including drums that power the urgency of the song’s lyrics, with fills nudging the chorus instead of existing merely as a backbeat.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood and Jonathan and Jordan Knight half-rap over an irritating electronic backbeat like wannabe Beastie Boys.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
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Jon Pareles, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Advertisement What had been the backbeat of a bygone epoch, the waltz amazingly survived in the 20th century.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Along with resonate vocals from both, credit Mars’ rhythmic instincts for including drums that power the urgency of the song’s lyrics, with fills nudging the chorus instead of existing merely as a backbeat.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 19 Dec. 2024
Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood and Jonathan and Jordan Knight half-rap over an irritating electronic backbeat like wannabe Beastie Boys.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for backbeat
Dictionary Entries Near backbeat
Cite this Entry
“Backbeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/backbeat. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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backbeat
noun
back·beat
-ˌbēt 
: a steady pronounced rhythm stressing the second and fourth beats of a four-beat measure
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