beat to the punch

beat someone to the punch

and beat someone to the draw

Fig. to do something before someone else does it. I wanted to have the new car, but Sally beat me to the punch. I planned to write a book about using the new software program, but someone else beat me to the draw.

beat somebody to the punch

to do something before someone else can do it I wanted to give my mother a camera, but my brother beat me to the punch.

Etymology: from boxing, in which good fighters are quick to react by punching (hitting) the other fighter before they are hit

beat somebody to the punch

(American)

to do something before someone else does it I was thinking of applying for that job but Carol beat me to the punch.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Teimuraz	-	Georgian
Takondwa	tah-KON-dwah	Southern African, Chewa
Calixta	-	Spanish, Portuguese
Raquel	rah-KEL (Spanish)	Spanish, Portuguese, English
Yisra'el	-	Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew
Bibigul	-	Kazakh