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
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Recent Examples of drubbing
Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 31 Dec. 2025
Fresh off a drubbing at the polls — his 7 percent was the lowest total for a Republican in nearly 50 years — the Guardian Angels founder bore the look of someone who won.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 28 Dec. 2025
Indianapolis was flying high at 7-1 to open the season before dropping seven of its last eight, including a 48-27 drubbing at the hands of the 49ers on Monday night.
—Patrick Sung, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
The Avs became the third team in league history to reach 23 games played with no more than one regulation loss Wednesday night, a 6-0 drubbing of the rapidly-improving San Jose Sharks that put all of the Avs’ strengths on display.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 28 Nov. 2025
This, of course, was just the beginning of the questions that came to the fore in the drubbing.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 26 Nov. 2025
But the Warriors, coming off a 134-117 drubbing of the Jazz on Monday night, are facing issues of their own, and the Rockets are a different beast.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 26 Nov. 2025
Down the Dolphins’ best cornerback in Rasul Douglas, Brents stepped up and played an instrumental role in Miami’s 30-13 drubbing of the Bills.
—Miami Herald, 17 Nov. 2025
Florida fell to 0-2 under interim coach Billy Gonzales and 2-4 in the SEC with a 38-7 drubbing at Kentucky last week.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 2025
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
Moore is coming off one of his best performances of the year, scoring five total touchdowns in a drubbing of a hapless James Madison team.
—Rohan Nadkarni, NBC news, 31 Dec. 2025
Fresh off a drubbing at the polls — his 7 percent was the lowest total for a Republican in nearly 50 years — the Guardian Angels founder bore the look of someone who won.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 28 Dec. 2025
Indianapolis was flying high at 7-1 to open the season before dropping seven of its last eight, including a 48-27 drubbing at the hands of the 49ers on Monday night.
—Patrick Sung, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
The Avs became the third team in league history to reach 23 games played with no more than one regulation loss Wednesday night, a 6-0 drubbing of the rapidly-improving San Jose Sharks that put all of the Avs’ strengths on display.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 28 Nov. 2025
This, of course, was just the beginning of the questions that came to the fore in the drubbing.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 26 Nov. 2025
But the Warriors, coming off a 134-117 drubbing of the Jazz on Monday night, are facing issues of their own, and the Rockets are a different beast.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 26 Nov. 2025
Down the Dolphins’ best cornerback in Rasul Douglas, Brents stepped up and played an instrumental role in Miami’s 30-13 drubbing of the Bills.
—Miami Herald, 17 Nov. 2025
Florida fell to 0-2 under interim coach Billy Gonzales and 2-4 in the SEC with a 38-7 drubbing at Kentucky last week.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Nov. 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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In just a number of months, voters will head to the polls for midterms, the first nationwide test for Democrats following their across the board defeat in 2024, itself partly due to perceptions that the party was too far to the left.—
Douglas Schoen,
Oc Register,
9 Jan. 2026
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Advertisement But vulnerability isn’t the same as defeat.—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Russia has been pounding Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with drones and missiles in recent weeks, a tactic used in previous winters.—
Kosta Gak,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
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But those massive events aren’t the only way for fans to experience the heart-pounding thrills and sense of community that only live sports can deliver.—
Ava Wallace,
Washington Post,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The cold weather shouldn’t be a huge factor unless the wind starts whipping.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Jan. 2026
-
The wind was whipping throughout Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, that day, which had a massive impact on the kicking game.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
29 Dec. 2025
Noun
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But those guards fell crashing down on Wednesday night in a brutally honest assessment of his team following Boise State’s (9-6, 1-3 Mountain West) 75-58 home loss to Grand Canyon (9-5, 2-1) at ExtraMile Arena.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Despite the losses, Damon traveled to Texas and won the national title, dedicating the victory to his family and supporters.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Other photos showed Owen proudly licking the faces of his owners and getting some hugs and pats from the reality star, her husband and children.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The Chocolate Brownie Batter flavor was my first try, mostly because any brand that claims something tastes like licking brownie batter off the spoon must be challenged.—
Samantha Leal,
Refinery29,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Piper Sandler’s Laperriere said Trump used such types of force infrequently during his first term and held off on bombing Iran.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Just hours before the US began bombing Iraq in 2003, Husain and his family stole around $1 billion in what has been described as the largest bank heist of all time.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
1 Jan. 2026
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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Despite his mediator role, Rodríguez is also known for his explosive temperament, lashing out in Congress and publicly threatening and insulting members of the opposition.—
Bloomberg Wire,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Jan. 2026
-
Trump spent most of 2025 downplaying the significance of the files, at times lashing out against Republicans who demanded the release of information about other potential perpetrators.—
Stephen Fowler,
NPR,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drubbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drubbing. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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