Beat (one) to the punch verb phrase
If you beat someone to the punch, you do something before he or she does.
When I was about to say the answer to the teacher's question, John beat me to the punch.
I wanted to pay for our meal, but Lisa had beat me to the punch.
Anticipate doing something with great eagerness, eagerness or excitement
The verb "beat" must be conjugated according to its tense.
The phrase is said to have stemmed from boxing
1. The phrase is used to talk about the earth that is broken up and flattened by a harrow.
2. If somebody is under the harrow, he or she is forced to experience distress, or torment.
1. About 1000 hectares of farmland have been under the harrow for 2 hours.
2. Many families are under the harrow because of the economic recession.