"take a beat" meaning in English

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "takes a beat",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "taking a beat",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "took a beat",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "taken a beat",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "take<,,took,taken> a beat"
      },
      "expansion": "take a beat (third-person singular simple present takes a beat, present participle taking a beat, simple past took a beat, past participle taken a beat)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
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      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
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      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
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          "ref": "2020, Samantha Jayne, “Surviving the Office” (1:20 from the start), in Quarter Life Poetry, season 1, episode 3, spoken by Samantha Jayne (Samantha Jayne):",
          "text": "“Breathe a minute. Relax. Say the magic words: you need to take a beat, and then you'll circle back.”",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
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          ],
          "ref": "2025 February 13, Emily Towers, “Buffalo and Beavers” (6:25 from the start), in Animal Control, season 3, episode 6, spoken by Amit Patel (Ravi V. Patel):",
          "text": "“You're suspended.” “With pay?” “Technically, yeah. Yes.” “Thanks. This is a win.” “Wait. What.. what just happened?” “What just happened?” “We just got a paid day off to plan a revenge prank. Shred... what's your size in a bomb vest?” “Probably a medium.” “You know what, guys? I think... I think we just need to take a beat.” “And allow this to de-escalate?” “Yeah.” “Why don't you save that crap for your hippie sound bath? This is war. Shred... to battle.”",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
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          ],
          "ref": "2025 March 2, Jon Foor, “In the System” (9:11 from the start), in Common Side Effects, season 1, episode 6, spoken by Frances Applewhite (Emily Pendergast):",
          "text": "“Mom? Oh, Mom, you're standing!” “Frannie! I feel terrific. Let's go dancing.” [Laughs] “Mom, what?” “Come on, I still got it. Should we go climb that tree? You used to love climbing trees.” “Okay, Mom. Let's take a beat. Maybe we should just... I mean, we've both been through kind of a lot.”",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To pause and take a moment to collect your thoughts, calm down, or regain composure before reacting."
      ],
      "id": "en-take_a_beat-en-verb-AjMvKIh7"
    }
  ],
  "word": "take a beat"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "takes a beat",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "taking a beat",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "took a beat",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "taken a beat",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "take<,,took,taken> a beat"
      },
      "expansion": "take a beat (third-person singular simple present takes a beat, present participle taking a beat, simple past took a beat, past participle taken a beat)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
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        "English lemmas",
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      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              59,
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            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2020, Samantha Jayne, “Surviving the Office” (1:20 from the start), in Quarter Life Poetry, season 1, episode 3, spoken by Samantha Jayne (Samantha Jayne):",
          "text": "“Breathe a minute. Relax. Say the magic words: you need to take a beat, and then you'll circle back.”",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              314,
              325
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2025 February 13, Emily Towers, “Buffalo and Beavers” (6:25 from the start), in Animal Control, season 3, episode 6, spoken by Amit Patel (Ravi V. Patel):",
          "text": "“You're suspended.” “With pay?” “Technically, yeah. Yes.” “Thanks. This is a win.” “Wait. What.. what just happened?” “What just happened?” “We just got a paid day off to plan a revenge prank. Shred... what's your size in a bomb vest?” “Probably a medium.” “You know what, guys? I think... I think we just need to take a beat.” “And allow this to de-escalate?” “Yeah.” “Why don't you save that crap for your hippie sound bath? This is war. Shred... to battle.”",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              209,
              220
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2025 March 2, Jon Foor, “In the System” (9:11 from the start), in Common Side Effects, season 1, episode 6, spoken by Frances Applewhite (Emily Pendergast):",
          "text": "“Mom? Oh, Mom, you're standing!” “Frannie! I feel terrific. Let's go dancing.” [Laughs] “Mom, what?” “Come on, I still got it. Should we go climb that tree? You used to love climbing trees.” “Okay, Mom. Let's take a beat. Maybe we should just... I mean, we've both been through kind of a lot.”",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To pause and take a moment to collect your thoughts, calm down, or regain composure before reacting."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "take a beat"
}