The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word RHYTHM
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
R
H
Y
T
H
M
More clues leading to the result RHYTHM
- Rich yoghurt, and ham, on vacation: that takes some beating!
- Beat with right hand? Dreadful myth
- Relinquish yacht helm altogether on vacation time
- Starts to realise he’s yet to hear Mersey beat
- It will be beaten in time, hopefully
- Beat marines to capture Cinque Port, driving English out
- Beat in run to hospital, exploding myth
- Partner of 24 downs spinning coats for modish, trendy hipster
- Measure my hat, my shirt — occasionally back-to-front
- Beat Marines when capturing most of Hythe
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Beat" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case beat = rhythm.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does RHYTHM mean?
RHYTHM noun- The variation of strong and weak elements (such as duration, accent) of sounds, notably in speech or music, over time; a beat or meter.
- A specifically defined pattern of such variation.
- A flow, repetition or regularity.
- The tempo or speed of a beat, song or repetitive event.
- The musical instruments which provide rhythm (mainly; not or less melody) in a musical ensemble.
- A regular quantitative change in a variable (notably natural) process.
- Controlled repetition of a phrase, incident or other element as a stylistic figure in literature and other narrative arts; the effect it creates.