Win vs beat
You win a game, contest, or prize, but you beat the person or team you play against.
In a contest, you win the what (game, prize) and beat the who (rival, team).
win verb
To come first in a game, contest, or war, or to get a prize by doing best.
- Our team won the final game of the season.
- She won first prize in the photography contest.
beat verb
To defeat a person or team in a game, fight, or contest, or to do better than them.
- My little brother always beats me at chess.
- Few runners can beat her over long distances.
Watch out
- You can also say win against a person or team. It means the same as beat them.We won against the best team in the league.
- As a phrasal verb, win someone over means to make them like you or join your side, not to defeat them. But the noun a win over a team does mean a victory against it.Her kindness slowly won over her new classmates.
- In standard English, do not use win with the person or team you defeat: not we won the champions. You may hear it in some regional or informal English, but say beat them, or win against them.Our team beat the champions in the final.
Test yourself
Who do you think will blank the championship this year?
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win. The championship is the contest itself, so use win.
My sister always manages to blank me at chess.
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beat. Me is the person who loses, so use beat.
Underdogs sometimes blank against much stronger teams.
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win. With against, use win. Win against someone means you defeat them.
It took a great team to blank the defending champions.
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beat. The champions are the team that loses, so use beat.