beat someone to the draw—
1. shoot quicker than an opponent in a gun fight:
- He called me out in Tucson and I beat him to the draw, placing a bullet right through his heart.
2. get somewhere or obtain smth. before smb. else does:
- I beat him to the draw and reported him to the superintendent myself, and gave my version of the story.
beat someone to the punch—
1. (Boxing ) land a blow before one’s opponent can strike:
- I beat Hanley to the punch and he went down on his haunches.
2. = beat someone to the draw 2:
- Once in possession of those weapons, the tyrant would be undeterrable. The national security depended on beating him to the punch.
Note: Neither expression is equivalent in meaning to the phrase beat someone to the wire—(UK also: beat someone to ribands) defeat smb. in a race or contest; show oneself superior to a person:
- I’ve been teased a few times over the years by the boy jockeys, but once I beat them to the wire a few times they quit teasing me so much.