1
as in licks
to strike repeatedly
a crowd was drubbing the purse snatcher when the police arrived on the scene
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in bombs
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 drubs
Verb
-
Then, Mitski licks up the blood on the girl’s finger.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026 -
After the drill, Ruin rolls onto his back, then licks a reporter's nose.—
Megan Sauer
Tasia Jensen,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
If Venezuela and its region instead spiral into chaos and suffering, Trump will merely look like a bully, a president who cowers when facing the mighty — in Moscow or Beijing, say — but bombs those who can’t return fire, whether in Nigeria, Yemen or Venezuela.—
Andreas Kluth,
Boston Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Above, South Lake Tahoe ripper Emma Dayberry bombs through Kirkwood’s fabled Finger chutes, a quick traverse off of the Cornice Express six-pack chairlift.—
Drew Zieff,
Outside,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In the present, Simon (now played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) pounds his car’s steering wheel, driving away from wreckage.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The claw then releases the broken bikes and pounds them down once more for good measure.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But Tan’s comment buries the lede.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
The painter spends hours drawing sketches of the corpse, then chops up her body, arranges the pieces in a suitcase and buries it with the help of an old man sitting under a cypress tree.—
Amir Ahmadi Arian,
The Dial,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Hollywood has returned again and again to the Hellraiser well — with a whopping nine sequels and a 2022 reboot — but nothing beats the original.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
-
On a blustery cold winter night, nothing beats a steamy cup of hot chocolate.—
Heather Riske,
Better Homes & Gardens,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Dean Smith collects his 700th career coaching victory as North Carolina routs Maryland 105-73.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
-
McClymonds routs Oakland Tech in Silver Bowl, dedicates championship to former Skyline and Laney football coach John Beam, who was shot and killed last week.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
23 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Due to the Doorman Clause, which prohibits actors with superpowers from performing in film and television, Simon hides his abilities.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The wrap-design, complete with pleated detailing around the waist, hides the midsection and highlights your natural shape without clinging too much.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Or, imagine that Uruguay upsets Spain in Group H.—
Henry Bushnell,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Prevent upsets to your meal (and upsets to your hungry guests) by making every spice, seasoning, and ingredient easy to find.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
17 Dec. 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
“Drubs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drubs. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
