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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drubbing
Noun
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That’s twice as many defeats as victories in games decided by a single run.—
Dan Schlossberg,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025 -
That game also ended up being a soul-crushing loss for the reeling Bombers, as other newbies Camilo Doval, David Bednar and José Caballero also played pivotal parts in the defeat.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But the unhappy ending is especially head-pounding for Saxon Ratliff (Patrick Schwarzenegger).—
Bryan Alexander,
USA TODAY,
24 Mar. 2025
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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
-
The company is waiting for final results from a similar study of weight loss in people with diabetes; early results released in April indicate that the drug helped people with diabetes lower their blood sugar.—
Alice Park,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
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Lawyers with the state said the habitat loss was a small part of the more than 3.1 million acres over which panthers range in Florida.—
Greg Allen,
NPR,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
-
Good morning, The Padres last night took their worst beating at Petco Park since before last year’s All-Star break.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Aug. 2025
-
Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito all have taken beatings behind the Giants’ offensive line, especially their reserves, in recent years.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
8 Aug. 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
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Ila Desai faced setbacks when developing Girls Count Too, a math program for fifth-grade girls.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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Athletic trainers have limited Gates’ workload, but his absence is a setback — to what degree remains to be seen.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Drubbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drubbing. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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