as in defeat
failure to win a contest
took a terrible drubbing in last night's basketball game
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pounding
to strike repeatedly
a crowd was drubbing the purse snatcher when the police arrived on the scene
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in whipping
to defeat by a large margin
we drubbed our traditional football rivals so badly that it was basically no contest
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of drubbing
Miami Herald, 10 Nov. 2025
The victory also took away the bad taste left in their mouths from a 7-2 drubbing in Ottawa last week, their worst loss of the season.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Republicans got a drubbing from Democratic candidates in the handful of races across the country.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
Jacksonville lost to the Rams 35-7 in London, while the Raiders suffered a 31-0 drubbing at the hands of the Chiefs.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
The Dallas Cowboys’ up-and-down season continued with the team’s 44-24 drubbing at the hands of the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Oct. 2025
And the Broncos proceeded to stomp Dallas into the turf at Empower Field for four quarters Sunday in a 44-24 drubbing, their best end-to-end performance of the year.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
Cincinnati digested the latest drubbing against Detroit knowing the only answers at quarterback were outside the building.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Even after a 14-win regular season campaign, fans didn’t exactly leave last year’s playoff drubbing at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams overly enthused about their professional football franchise.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 28 Sep. 2025
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
The image circled on social media channels following the Miami Dolphins’ 30-13 drubbing of the Buffalo Bills.
—Miami Herald, 10 Nov. 2025
The victory also took away the bad taste left in their mouths from a 7-2 drubbing in Ottawa last week, their worst loss of the season.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
Republicans got a drubbing from Democratic candidates in the handful of races across the country.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
Jacksonville lost to the Rams 35-7 in London, while the Raiders suffered a 31-0 drubbing at the hands of the Chiefs.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
The Dallas Cowboys’ up-and-down season continued with the team’s 44-24 drubbing at the hands of the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Oct. 2025
And the Broncos proceeded to stomp Dallas into the turf at Empower Field for four quarters Sunday in a 44-24 drubbing, their best end-to-end performance of the year.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 27 Oct. 2025
Cincinnati digested the latest drubbing against Detroit knowing the only answers at quarterback were outside the building.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Even after a 14-win regular season campaign, fans didn’t exactly leave last year’s playoff drubbing at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams overly enthused about their professional football franchise.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 28 Sep. 2025
Verb
The mighty Mariners, who mashed five solo home runs at raucous T-Mobile Park, clinched their title by drubbing Major League Baseball’s doormat, aka the Colorado Rockies, 9-2.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drubbing
Noun
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Auburn fell to 4-5 on the year after the Week 10 defeat to the Wildcats.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Although Ukraine for now is still maintaining a defense, the fall of Pokrovsk would be one of the most serious defeats Ukraine has suffered since March, when its troops were forced to retreat from Russia's Kursk region.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Afterwards, Munchak says agents pulled their car in front of hers and surrounded the vehicle, pounding on it, telling her to open the doors and pointing a gun at her.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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The metal giants are currently pounding their way through a long-overdue tour of Australia and New Zealand, a six-date coast-to-coast swing for the M72 World Tour.—
Lars Brandle,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The windproof and thermal wool blend fabric is the perfect shell to protect you on the many fall days in Paris, as the whipping wind adds an unexpected cool factor while strolling around town.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
2 Nov. 2025
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Strong, whipping winds are expected to continue across Jamaica throughout the night.—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This means clear ownership, strategic leadership, and, above all, profit-and-loss accountability.—
Phil Gilbert,
Fortune,
12 Nov. 2025
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Three years later, a clinical study of the Pro, paid for by Stryker, found that 1 in 4 patients experienced complications after getting the implant, ranging from infection to avascular necrosis, the death of bone tissue due to loss of blood.—
Elizabeth B. Kim,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The sketch concluded with the librarian licking Moynihan's face with a forked tongue and then unbuttoning her blouse — causing all of the boys' heads to explode.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Nov. 2025
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Others, like Ava Louise, do it through viral media stunts, like flashing the New York-Dublin Portal or licking a toilet seat in the beginning of the Covid pandemic.—
Taylor Lorenz,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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An art conservator who'd prefer to be immersed in detail work, Sarah is bombing as the host of a dinner party where her entrepreneur husband (Tom Riley) hopes to impress an obnoxious prospective investor (Tom Goodman-Hill) when a literal explosive goes off in her neighborhood.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
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Trump has often expressed verbal frustration with Putin, accusing him of making positive diplomatic noises before bombing Ukrainian civilians again, but until now had avoided taking direct action.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The man previously on Florida’s Death Row for beating, stabbing and strangling a La Carreta waitress with a rice cooker — before lighting a blaze to destroy key evidence — should be condemned to die, Miami prosecutors told a jury after detailing the slaying on Wednesday morning.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
5 Nov. 2025
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Predictably, Mike responds to Kyle’s beating by meddling further.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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This and that ▪ Dolphins rookie running back Ollie Gordon II was contrite about lashing out at running backs coach Eric Studesville in a heated exchange after Gordon was called for a tripping penalty against Baltimore.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
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LogoPowered byScale logo Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest Atlantic storms on record, is slowly cutting through the Caribbean, soaking and lashing those in its path with torrential rain and catastrophic winds.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drubbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drubbing. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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