1
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
a crowd was drubbing the purse snatcher when the police arrived on the scene
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2
as in to overcome
to defeat by a large margin
we drubbed our traditional football rivals so badly that it was basically no contest
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of drub
The Broncos have a 9-4 series record in 13 all-time matchups against this NFC foe, and drubbed them 30-16 in their last meeting when outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper recorded his first two NFL sacks against Dallas QB Dak Prescott.
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Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
24 Oct. 2025
The Bears upset the Vikings in Minnesota before the San Francisco 49ers drubbed them at Candlestick Park.
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Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2025
The win meant something to Minnesota after it was drubbed by the Knicks on national television a month prior at Target Center.
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Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
17 Jan. 2025
The Democrats’ power structure is dominated by lawmakers from the coasts — both at the leadership and committee level — and Craig is the only one of the three candidates to represent the Heartland, where Democrats were drubbed in this year’s presidential contest.
—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for drub
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
24 Oct. 2025
The Bears upset the Vikings in Minnesota before the San Francisco 49ers drubbed them at Candlestick Park.
—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Jan. 2025
The win meant something to Minnesota after it was drubbed by the Knicks on national television a month prior at Target Center.
—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
17 Jan. 2025
The Democrats’ power structure is dominated by lawmakers from the coasts — both at the leadership and committee level — and Craig is the only one of the three candidates to represent the Heartland, where Democrats were drubbed in this year’s presidential contest.
—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for drub
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drub
Verb
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After milking, the cows would return themselves to their fresh pasture and spend the day grazing, snoozing, licking one another, and cooling off in the shade of pine trees.
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Bring along a friend who wouldn’t be able to indulge in these kinds of finger-licking treats otherwise.
Verb
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Rather than be benched, Devers batted cleanup, overcame an 0-for-3 start, and singled up the middle in the seventh to score Bryce Eldridge, who narrowly beat a tag at the plate for a 3-1 lead.
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Its highly specialized strategy likely evolved to take advantage of the ant’s natural aggression and then overcome its defenses; the slingshot mechanism flings the ant from the foraging trail, reducing the risk that the spider will be swarmed by other workers, the researchers hypothesized.
Verb
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Bryson Stott's three-run homer highlighted Philadelphia's eight-run outburst in the ninth inning and the Phillies rallied to beat the Washington Nationals 14-9 on Tuesday night.
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Rather than be benched, Devers batted cleanup, overcame an 0-for-3 start, and singled up the middle in the seventh to score Bryce Eldridge, who narrowly beat a tag at the plate for a 3-1 lead.
Verb
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Police have arrested a 22-year-old man who was caught on camera whipping a yellow taxi cab with a belt, damaging the hood, following the Knicks’ comeback victory in Game 4 of the NBA finals, officials said Friday.
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Democrats work ceaselessly to whip the American people into a frenzy of hate and conflict.
Verb
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Criminal Minds star Paget Brewster is apologizing after lashing out at a critic.
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Photos of Hammett in the garment eventually caught the attention of Swifties, who lashed out at the guitarist on Reddit and social media.
Verb
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The Dutch monarchs, who were joined by their daughter Princess Ariane, began the day by watching Holland rout Sweden 5-1 in a Group F match.
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Germany did rout newcomer Curacao 7-1, Qatar was trounced 6-0 by Canada, and Haiti was eliminated after two matches.
Verb
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Moroccan supporters, who had arrived in force, marching toward the stadium amid pounding drums and chants, celebrated their team’s victory and advancement.
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In lieu of Pearl Jam, Wilco and other ‘90s rock standards, a pounding electronic score by Christian Lundberg of Hans Zimmer’s Bleeding Fingers collective provides the music.
Verb
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Despite the lack of goals, the game was exciting with end-to-end runs and missed chances that left fans of both teams groaning and burying their heads in their hands.
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After receiving a pass in the right side of the box, Dembélé very patiently made his way to his left before burying yet another left-footed strike into the goal.
Cite this Entry
“Drub.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drub. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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