Dictionary

beat to the punch en · VERB

Meanings

1. (idiomatic, transitive) To carry out an action before another person is able to do so.
   • I was planning to take care of the problem for him, but he beat me to the punch and did it himself.

Forms

Relateds

first blood · beat to · get the drop on

Translations (22)

es atrasar (to do something before somebody else can) · fr prendre de vitesse (to do something before somebody else can) · es ganar por la mano (to do something before somebody else can) · ru упреди́ть (to do something before somebody else can) · fr devancer (to do something before somebody else can) · es anticipar (to do something before somebody else can) · cmn 捷足先登 (to do something before somebody else can) · es ganar de mano (to do something before somebody else can) · pl ubiegać (to do something before somebody else can) · fr couper l'herbe sous le pied (to do something before somebody else can) · fr coiffer au poteau (to do something before somebody else can) · pl wyprzedzić (to do something before somebody else can) · fi ehtiä ensin (to do something before somebody else can) · hu megelőz (to do something before somebody else can) · pl uprzedzić (to do something before somebody else can) · yue 截胡 (to do something before somebody else can) · ru опереди́ть (to do something before somebody else can) · pl uprzedzać (to do something before somebody else can) · es adelantarse (to do something before somebody else can) · pl ubiec (to do something before somebody else can) · pl wyprzedzać (to do something before somebody else can) · cmn 搶先 /抢先 (to do something before somebody else can)