has been beaten

USAGE SUMMARY

'has been beaten' is correct and can be used in written English.
It is the past perfect passive form of the verb 'beat', which is used to express an action that has already happened in the past. For example: "The champion boxer had been beaten in the third round of the match."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

This land has been beaten up.

The New York Times - Books

Kolya [Khalezin] has been beaten up.

The Guardian

"He has been beaten with ruthlessness," Maulavi Habibullah said.

The New York Times

He says he has been beaten many times.

Independent

He has been beaten on several big plays this season.

The New York Times - Sports

Yet another global heat record has been beaten.

The Guardian

Across Europe, orthodox social democracy has been beaten.

The Guardian - Opinion

He has been beaten up dozens of times.

The Guardian - Opinion

Ammar, whom Mr. Boal has said is a composite, looks as if he has been beaten.

The New York Times

"The cardamom has been beaten back by the ginger and the apple".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

"While fairly remarkable, I know this has been 'beaten' a fair few times in history.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "has been beaten" to indicate a past action where something or someone was defeated or surpassed. Ensure the context clearly establishes who or what was beaten and by whom or what.

Common error

Avoid using "has been beaten" when you need to describe a future event. This phrase is specific to completed actions in the past. For future actions, consider using "will be beaten" or "is going to be beaten."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "has been beaten" functions as a past perfect passive verb phrase. It describes an action that was completed in the past, with the subject being the recipient of the action. This is supported by Ludwig, indicating it is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

76%

Wiki

6%

Academia

2%

Less common in

Forbes

4%

Huffington Post

4%

Los Angeles Times

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "has been beaten" is a grammatically correct and very common past perfect passive verb phrase. According to Ludwig, it's used to describe a completed action where someone or something has been defeated or surpassed. The phrase is most frequently found in news and media contexts, with a neutral register, and serves to convey a past event with a present result. It's important to ensure correct tense usage and to choose appropriate synonyms like "has been defeated" or "has been overcome" depending on the desired nuance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

has been defeated

Replaces "beaten" with a direct synonym, focusing on the act of losing a contest or battle.

has lost to

Directly indicates the act of being defeated by a specific opponent.

has been overcome

Highlights the act of being subdued or conquered, suggesting a struggle.

was conquered by

Implies a forceful defeat or subjugation.

has been bested

Indicates being outsmarted or outmaneuvered.

has been surpassed

Emphasizes exceeding or outdoing, particularly in achievements or records.

has been outdone

Similar to 'surpassed', this focuses on being outperformed.

has been trounced

Implies a decisive and overwhelming defeat.

succumbed to

Suggests yielding or giving way to pressure or force.

has fallen to

Implies a loss of position or status due to defeat.

FAQs

How can I use "has been beaten" in a sentence?

The phrase "has been beaten" is used to describe something or someone that has been defeated or surpassed. For example, "The world record "has been beaten" by the new athlete".

What are some alternatives to saying "has been beaten"?

Depending on the context, you can use phrases like "has been defeated", "has been overcome", or "has been surpassed".

Is it correct to say "had been beaten" instead of "has been beaten"?

Both are grammatically correct but have different meanings. "Has been beaten" indicates a past action with relevance to the present, while "had been beaten" refers to an action completed before another point in the past.

What's the difference between "has been beaten" and "was beaten"?

"Has been beaten" implies a present result of a past action, while "was beaten" simply states that something happened in the past without necessarily implying a current consequence.