1
as in whips
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
students at the private school were once routinely birched for violating the rules
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in licks
to strike repeatedly
always a stern disciplinarian, our father birched anyone who talked back
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for birches
Verb
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When a dog repeatedly wags and whips its tail against hard surfaces, the tip can split open, bruise or break.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Jan. 2026 -
Benbrook whips Diamond Hill-Jarvis Benbrook stayed on pace for a playoff berth in District 8-4A as the Lady Bobcats thumped Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis 55-7.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Then, Mitski licks up the blood on the girl’s finger.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
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After the drill, Ruin rolls onto his back, then licks a reporter's nose.—
Megan Sauer
Tasia Jensen,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When season two begins, viewers meet a beautiful young Hispanic woman named Luz (Jeannine Mason), who hides on a boat traveling to a remote island, perhaps in the Caribbean, to make a liquor delivery for a wealthy businessman named Richard Helvig.—
Demetrius Patterson,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
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There are wool blankets draped atop cow print chairs, lambskin hides on the bar stools and a casual Dom Perignon on the menu.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Hard Truths premiered at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival and followed Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Pansy, an angry and depressed woman who lashes out at family and strangers, and whose constant criticism slowly isolates her.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
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According to Augustinus Bader, apply to brows and lashes morning and night.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The old formula not only fails to reflect how much Argentine households spend on present-day staples like Netflix subscriptions and iPhones, experts say, but also underrepresents the costs of public services like health care and electricity that have skyrocketed as Milei slashes subsidies.—
Isabel Debre,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Work rules are the largest driver of coverage losses in the GOP budget law, which slashes nearly $1 trillion to offset the costs of tax breaks that mainly benefit the rich and increase border security, critics say.—
Samantha Liss,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In the present, Simon (now played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) pounds his car’s steering wheel, driving away from wreckage.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
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The claw then releases the broken bikes and pounds them down once more for good measure.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In addition to the effects of the pandemic and tariffs, climate issues — drought in Vietnam, heavy rain in Indonesia, and hot, dry weather in Brazil — are blamed for reducing yields of coffee crops and driving up global prices.—
Matt Sedensky,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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But while the Penny Lane tends to be longer, usually falling to at least the knee and often mid-calf, Jenner’s jacket crops at the waist.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Bibs mostly reigned supreme—having straps and the ability to adjust zippers without everything falling down was key.—
Anna Callaghan,
Outside,
14 Feb. 2026
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Footwear consists of brown leather sandals with wide straps and a flat sole.—
Alex Sales,
Glamour,
14 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Birches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/birches. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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