# beat the crowd

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/beat-the-crowd
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To arrive at a location or complete a task before a large group of people do so.

## Examples

- We leave early to beat the crowd at the store.
- If we start our hike at sunrise, we can beat the crowd to the summit.
- By securing their tickets months in advance and arriving before dawn, the dedicated fans managed to beat the crowd to the front of the stage.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.