1
as in whipping
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 licking
to strike repeatedly
always a stern disciplinarian, our father birched anyone who talked back
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for birching
Verb
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The Seahawks won those shootouts, but that was mostly due to their special teams whipping the Rams and their offense going off, especially in the Super Bowl qualifier.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 June 2026 -
Throughout the record, the image of Petras’ life in freefall recurs, giving the record a sense of hair-whipping freedom and heart-stopping urgency.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
2 June 2026
Verb
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That licking instinct may have led Jacobs’s elk to an area known as Flag Swamp, a one-acre wetland filled with blue flag irises and shrubby willow trees.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
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Finally, monitor pets for behavioral changes, as pets may experience pain, licking or chewing at a wound, loss of appetite and lethargy.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Minutes later someone called 911 to say a man had parked in their driveway and appeared to be hiding next to their house, according to police.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 June 2026
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Sore spot There’s a catch hiding in California’s shiny productivity numbers.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Lately, though, the president has upset religious conservatives by posting a Christ-like image of himself online as well as lashing out at Pope Leo and the Vatican.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
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Iran’s lashing out at Israel for the sake of Hezbollah carries major risks.—
Sam Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
Verb
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The most recent controversy came in January, when the county paid $135,000 to settle a lawsuit that accused Kramer of improperly slashing a property’s value by millions of dollars — then retaliating against the employee who raised alarms about it.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
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Police said the suspect was wearing a blue shirt and jeans when he was seen on security footage pouring milk on the vehicle and then slashing the tires.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
Verb
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When the worker said yes, there followed a cacophony of voices, radios, and pounding boots as police stormed the property.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
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One of my favorite side dishes starts by rehydrating them, then pounding them in a mortar and pestle to release all that concentrated flavor.—
Julie Lin,
Condé Nast Traveler,
8 June 2026
Verb
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So, that is one gig at a completely unnecessary addition to the sports calendar, created by corporate interests for the sole intention of flogging products to people who do not really like sport… and another at the Enhanced Games.—
Matt Slater,
New York Times,
23 May 2026
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In an even more meta moment, Amazon interrupted its own Upfront with actual ads with Summer House star Paige DeSorbo flogging certain items to an increasingly frustrated audience.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
11 May 2026
Verb
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The search for a teenage girl swept away by a big wave while walking on a Southern California beach expanded Wednesday as high surf kept battering the coast.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 June 2026
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Prosecutors declined to file charges and Saenz was later granted a permanent restraining order against that ex-boyfriend, according to court records, after he was convicted of battering and strangling her.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
4 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Birching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/birching. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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