caning

verb

present participle of cane
as in spanking

Related Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for caning
  1. flagellating
  2. smacking
  3. slapping
  4. boxing
  5. chopping
  6. thwacking
  7. whacking
  8. hitting
Verb
  • Some go further, flagellating themselves or using a sword to strike their forehead to draw blood.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2026
  • His only way of finding any kind of life for himself is to embrace evil, to stop running away from it, to try to stop morally flagellating himself.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 25 Feb. 2026
Definition of flagellating
Verb
  • With a Triple-A pitcher called up for a spot start and a utilityman smacking an early two-run homer, the Boston Red Sox, having now won eight straight games, keep winning with an unlikely formula.
    — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 12 July 2026
  • The first mode is a more simple impact detonation — simply put, smacking the asteroid's surface to create a shallow crater, in which a nuclear device is exploded.
    — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of smacking
Verb
  • But when their panel ended, the sports stars got into a heated exchange that ended with Brady slapping Paul in the face.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • As seen in a video posted by Fanatics on Instagram and X, the former NFL quarterback traded words with Paul face-to-face before slapping him, and was ultimately pulled away.
    — Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 18 July 2026
Definition of slapping
Verb
  • The Washington Post took a look at how the designation risks boxing the US out of Syria’s recovery.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 8 July 2026
  • Instead of scoring points, Richard was more focused on making the right defensive rotation, making passes and boxing out.
    — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
Definition of boxing
Verb
  • Picking up the ball 30 yards from goal, Messi set off on a mazy run, chopping one way and then the other, leaving a trail of players behind him.
    — Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 10 July 2026
  • Last year, Katz filmed a video of his new protégé shucking oysters, chopping wood, swinging kettlebells, and speaking directly to the camera in a muddy sweatshirt about how the oligarchy had screwed their beloved state.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026
Definition of chopping
Verb
  • Modern readers may take heart in the fact that there are many excellent critics thwacking through the slop—albeit with freelance machetes, on newfangled platforms.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Max Weinberg sat at his set, thwacking his floor tom, while Lahav fiddled with his dials, stalked into the studio to unplug, replug, and then just physically move the microphone closer to the set, then to the side, and then farther away.
    — Peter Ames Carlin, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2025
Definition of thwacking
Verb
  • Larry Hayes, 86, and Bill Moniz, 79, hit the tennis courts in Mountain View three to four times a week — whacking balls across the net as teammates for one to three hours a week.
    — Panashe Matemba-Mutasa, Mercury News, 27 May 2026
  • And the crowd clearly expected that pucks whacking the nets would be at a premium in this series, too.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 May 2026
Definition of whacking
Verb
  • There was more talk of hitting a provisional, but Spieth refused.
    — Brody Miller, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • That cool air crashes toward the ground, then spreads outward in every direction like water hitting the floor.
    — Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 13 July 2026
Definition of hitting
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.

Browse Nearby Words

canines
caning
canister
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Cite this Entry

“Caning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caning. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on caning

Nglish: Translation of caning for Spanish Speakers

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