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
Relevance
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
-
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
-
Then, Mitski licks up the blood on the girl’s finger.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
-
After the drill, Ruin rolls onto his back, then licks a reporter's nose.—
Megan Sauer
Tasia Jensen,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In the 1995 film, Carrey’s pet detective character hides inside a fake rhinocerous to spy on unscrupulous types in a safari setting.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Ex-convict Adèle gets a job as a baggage handler there and quickly realizes that the job requires a lot more than moving luggage from the lobby to the room, as every favor hides a hidden cost and power dynamics shift rapidly.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The North Shore has been under flash flood warnings since early Friday as heavy rain lashes the island.—
Ritu Prasad,
CNN Money,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Instead of having a rational conversation with Nick, Gloria lashes out and the two split.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
This budget cut slashes the funds allocated to Chile’s Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
23 Mar. 2026
-
State Department slashes fee to renounce US citizenship For anyone considering a breakup with America, the fee to give up US citizenship just dropped by about 80%.—
Alexandra Banner,
CNN Money,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Irons pounds the drums like Bam-Bam smashing on two garbage-can lids.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Macron said France is expending diplomatic capital to ensure a return to calm and to allow for the Lebanese armed forces to assert themselves as Israel pounds Hezbollah positions.—
Sylvie Corbet,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Think mugwort from Ganghwa, fig from Yeongam, or rice harvested in Yeoju, a region known for its mineral-rich soil and high-quality crops.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
21 Mar. 2026
-
In farming areas of Saudi Arabia, groundwater levels have risen since the country began phasing out water-intensive alfalfa and other hay crops.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Not so much because Paul puts on-again, off-again partner Dakota Mortensen into a headlock and then pelts him with metal bar stools — sadly, this is a scene that would not be out of place on many reality shows — but because a small child is in the room.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Birches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/birches. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
