His father threatened to give him a licking if he didn't stop misbehaving.
our team took a licking last night, but we'll get them next time
Recent Examples on the WebLip licking causes a vicious cycle of licking lips to hydrate, only to dry them out more said Dr. Shayan Cheraghlou, academic chief dermatology resident at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.—Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024 For example, a sudden onset of seemingly uncontrollable licking of random surfaces can indicate gastrointestinal problems.—Anna Nordseth, Discover Magazine, 26 July 2023 The toys seem to be pretty durable, maintaining their shape after hours of play, although the fabric’s colors did fade a little due to our cats’ excessive licking.—Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 No bang, no whimper — just a bitter licking of wounds.—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 17 Dec. 2023 Paw licking is a common behavior among adult dogs that can indicate underlying issues.—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 6 Aug. 2023 The cat has a small spot of irritated skin — brought on by excessive licking and scratching — that needs to heal.—Cathy Free, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2023 Dish soap can have harsh ingredients that strip away at the dog’s skin barrier causing irritation that will likely lead to discomfort (lots of paw licking and chewing).—Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 1 Sep. 2023 This bag took a licking and kept on ticking without being any worse for wear.—Aly Walansky, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'licking.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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