WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

beat about
    v 1: search anxiously [syn: cast about, beat about, cast
         around]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

93 Moby Thesaurus words for "beat about":
   about ship, agonize over, angle for, ask for, back and fill,
   be at sea, be hard put, be uncertain, bear away, bear off,
   bear to starboard, beat, beat about for, box off, break,
   bring about, bring round, cant, cant round, cast, cast about,
   change course, change the heading, come about, delve for, dig for,
   double a point, doubt, feel around, feel for, feel unsure,
   fetch about, fish for, flounder, follow, fumble, go about,
   go gunning for, grabble, grope, grope for, gun for, gybe,
   have trouble, heave round, hunt, hunt for, hunt up, jibe,
   jibe all standing, labor under difficulties, look, look for,
   look up, miss stays, ply, poke around, prowl after, pry around,
   pursue, put about, put back, puzzle over, quest, question,
   round a point, scrabble, search for, see to, seek, seek for, sheer,
   shift, slew, still-hunt, struggle, swerve, swing round,
   swing the stern, tack, thrash about, throw about, try to find,
   turn, turn back, veer, walk on eggshells, wear, wear ship, wind,
   wonder, wonder whether, yaw