beat out

1. To outperform or best someone in order win or achieve something. You beat out a lot of very qualified candidates for this internship. While I didn't expect to beat out everyone in my heat, I also didn't expect to come in last place! Will only won the Science Fair because his mom is the principal. There's no way his lame project actually beat out everyone else's!

2. To strike the keys of a piano to play a song. I think your sister is trying to beat out "Hot Cross Buns" on the piano. Whenever my neighbor is beating out something on his piano, you can hear it all the way down the street. How much longer will your little sister be beating out these indecipherable tunes on the piano? I'm getting a headache from all that racket.

3. To strike a keyboard in order to type something. You better beat that essay out fast because class starts in an hour! You can always hear when Grandpa is beating out an email on his laptop—and it takes him about 20 minutes to type one sentence! I had to pull an all-nighter to beat out my term paper, but I did get it done!

beat someone/something out

tv. to outdistance someone or some group; to perform better than someone or some group. We have to beat the other company out, and then we’ll have the contract.