beat the air

verb

To fight to no purpose, or against an imaginary enemy.

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Meanings

verbbeat the air (third-person singular simple present beats the air, present participle beating the air, simple past beat the air, past participle beaten the air or (colloquial) beat the air)

present singular third person beats the air · participle present beating the air · participle past beaten the air

  1. To fight to no purpose, or against an imaginary enemy.
Cite this entry
APA

beat the air. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beat%20the%20air

MLA

“beat the air.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beat%20the%20air. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “beat the air,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beat%20the%20air.

Source: beat the air on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.