as in defeat
failure to win a contest
took a terrible drubbing in last night's basketball game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drubbing
Noun
-
His only loss prior to his UFC 311 setback to Makhachev was a March 2022 unanimous decision defeat to former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos in a 160-pound catchweight battle.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025 -
This gave the impression Pakistan had a bigger support in a 47-run defeat to their big rivals and neighbours.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
Verb
-
But the unhappy ending is especially head-pounding for Saxon Ratliff (Patrick Schwarzenegger).—
Bryan Alexander,
USA TODAY,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Queen finished with a team-best 17 points, but Maryland frequently settled for outside jumpers instead of pounding the ball inside to Queen and Julian Reese.—
Lindsay Schnell,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Elle was also seen whipping her hands in a circle to the music during the awards ceremony.—
Stephanie Wenger,
People.com,
6 Jan. 2025
-
This instant camera captures little moments and big occasions on film, which feels a little more special than whipping out an iPhone.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
2 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Gauff, by contrast, was 20-3 at that stage, including a loss to Sofia Kenin at Wimbledon in 2023.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 July 2025
-
Businesses unknowingly employ these fictitious vendors, incurring massive financial losses and data breaches.—
Steve Durbin,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
Jared Harris is the best movie John ever, licking his lips and sucking his teeth; Aidan Quinn is the best movie Paul.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Boston, Cleveland, and New York are licking their chops, ready to feast on a Bucks team missing its point guard, its bench leader, and its identity.—
Brian Sampson,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Weger was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the fatal beating of Lillian Oetting, 50, in March 1960 at the scenic park near Utica.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
24 June 2025
-
But the movie’s focus isn’t so much the zeitgeist that yields these public beatings, but rather, the strange and amusing way that a young woman present in the crowd, Maitri (Singh), uses this violence to her advantage in a moment of snap judgement.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
17 June 2025
Verb
-
Ruby, overwhelmed by the changes, began lashing out.—
TJ Macias,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Ruby, overwhelmed by the changes, began lashing out.—
TJ Macias,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
For now, however, even with setbacks in his bullpen sessions, the Guardians do expect Bieber to pitch this season.—
Bernie Pleskoff,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
-
Today’s models often treat people recovering from financial setbacks as inherently risky, even when their day-to-day behaviors show discipline and intention.—
Gabriele Buffo,
Fortune,
26 June 2025
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
“Drubbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drubbing. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share