beat the clock

To do or finish something within the time allowed

beat the pants or socks off (informal)

To defeat thoroughly

beat the retreat see beat a retreat above.

beat up

1. To pound or whip into froth, paste, a mixture, etc
2. To put up game, by beating the bushes, etc
3. To alarm by a sudden attack
4. (also in US beat up on) to thrash, to subject to a violent and brutal attack (informal)
5. To disturb
6. To arouse
7. To go about in quest of anything
8. To make way against wind or tide

(it) beats me (informal)

I have no idea what the answer is

take a beating (informal)

To suffer physical or verbal chastisement

take some (or a lot of) beating (informal)

To be of very high quality, ie to be difficult to surpass

clock¹ /klok/

1. An instrument for measuring time, operated mechanically, electronically or by some other means, on which the hours, minutes, etc are indicated by means of pointers on a dial face, or displayed digitally
2. Any device or instrument for recording, measuring, etc, either operated by similar means or which may be read like a clock
3. A speedometer or mileometer (informal)
4. An electrical circuit that generates a regular stream of pulses, used eg to synchronize the operations in a computer
5. The downy seed-head of a dandelion
6. The face (slang)

1. To time by a clock or stopwatch
2. To achieve (a certain officially attested time for a race)
3. To record (a certain speed) on a speedometer (slang)
4. To hit (slang)
5. To observe, notice (slang)
6. To turn back the mileometer of (a car, etc), so that it registers a lower figure than the actual mileage (clockˈing noun this (illegal) practice)

To register a time by a recording clock

clockˈer noun

1. Someone who clocks
2. A twenty-four-hour dealer in drugs (slang)

clockˈwise adverb

In the direction in which the hands of a clock move

clock card noun

A card on which the hours worked by an employee are recorded by a time clock

clockˈ-golf noun

A putting game on a green marked like a clock dial, in which the player putts from the position of each hour figure to a hole near the centre

clockˈmaker noun

clock radio noun

An electronic apparatus combining the functions of alarm clock and radio, esp for bedside use (also alarm radio or radio alarm)

clock speed noun (computing)

The speed of a microprocessor's internal clock, controlling the rate at which it can make calculations, expressed in megahertz

clock tower noun

A usu square tower having a clock at the top with a face on each exterior wall

clock-watcher, clock-watching see watch the clock below.

clockˈwork noun

1. The works or machinery of a clock
2. Steady, regular machinery like that of a clock (see also like clockwork and regular as clockwork below)

adjective

Operated by clockwork

against the clock

Making an effort to overcome shortage of time or achieve the shortest time

beat the clock

To finish a job, task, etc before the time limit runs out

clock in, out, on or off

To register time of coming or going, in or out, or on or off duty

clock up (informal)

To reach or record (a certain speed, score, etc)

know what o'clock it is

To be wide awake, to know how things are

like clockwork

As smoothly as if driven by clockwork

o'clock (for earlier of the clock)

1. As reckoned or shown by the clock
2. In a direction corresponding to that which would be taken by the hour-hand of a horizontal clock relative to a person standing at the centre and facing twelve

put back the clock or put the clock back

1. To return to earlier time and its conditions
2. To take a retrograde step

put the clock (or clocks) back or forward

To alter the clocks to allow for the change from or to summer time

regular as clockwork

Always happening at the same time

round the clock

For the whole of a twenty-four hour period

watch the clock

To keep watch on the passage of time, eagerly waiting for one's work-time to finish and usu doing only the minimum amount of work required (clockˈ-watcher noun; clockˈ-watching noun)