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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Quié kept getting up, sitting down, calling out to people in the street, checking on the kitchen, and whipping out his phone to film promotional videos.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026 -
As Aubry points out, Cirie is out there whipping votes and changing almost everyone’s minds.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Both have walked away from battles licking their wounds.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
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Five caribou stood licking at the stain.—
Frank Glaser,
Outdoor Life,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The lawsuit alleged that Alden facilities often were staffed at just 50 percent of the legal requirements, then hiding it from regulators in part through ghost workers and false reports.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Stop hiding behind other people and just say it yourself.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On his last day before he’s scheduled to ride off on his motorcycle for a three-month sabbatical that’s only barely disguising his suicidal ideation, Robby spends his final shift lashing out at his co-workers.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
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Things are not going well at the moment, so the president is lashing out.—
Steve Lopez,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Workers and technicians are hammering away in preparation for the return of Blue Man Group to Orlando, right down to the placement and pounding of PVC pipes, one of the ensemble’s distinctive musical instruments.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Apr. 2026
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Moisés Ballesteros, Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ homered, and the Chicago Cubs handed the Mets their ninth straight loss, pounding New York 12-4 on Friday.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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She has been arrested for slashing her sister’s neck with a box cutter and biting the breast of a security guard outside a nightclub.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
21 Apr. 2026
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While Sunbelt sellers are slashing prices to clear inventory, Ohio sellers are watching their equity grow.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Examples include a husband having the legal right to restrict his wife’s travel and employment, unequal divorce rights and punishment for appearing in public without a hijab ranging from fines to prison time to flogging.—
Ellie Austin,
Fortune,
21 Jan. 2026
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Others have called out the boring marketing campaign based around flogging variants in order for Swift to finally beat the record for the biggest opening sales week for a female artist in history (currently held by Adele, which she is likely projected to break).—
Bianca Davino,
Refinery29,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Clavicular was arrested last month on battery charges out of Florida, after a 19-year-old woman accused a 24-year-old woman of battering her in a home that was rented by the influencer.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
15 Apr. 2026
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Coastal cities are dealing with more erosion from sea-level rise due to climate change, Griggs added, and the battering from bigger storms is another impact.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
8 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Birching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/birching. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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