beat a dead horse

idiom

chiefly US, informal

1

: to keep talking about a subject that has already been discussed or decided

I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but I still don't understand what happened.

2

: to waste time and effort trying to do something that is impossible

Is it just beating a dead horse to ask for another recount of the votes?

Examples of beat a dead horse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Not wanting to beat a dead horse, but if the pundit’s advice was followed, namely do not report the rather bland or inoffensive circumstance, here’s what could arise. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 14 Oct. 2021

In other words, stop trying to beat a dead horse with certain people, jobs, or groups that are simply a wasteland for your bright light. —Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Dec. 2022

Not to beat a dead horse here, but oh my goodness, the resonance. —Rose Maura Lorre, Vulture, 18 June 2021

Not to beat a dead horse, but every other country in the world (apart from Eritrea) has somehow managed to balance these concerns in a satisfactory manner and is no worse off for it. —Robert Goulder, Forbes, 7 June 2021