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lick 1 of 2

noun

Definition of licknext
1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument gave the ball a solid lick with the bat

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2
as in shred
a very small amount the soup needs just a lick more of salt

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in damn
the smallest amount or part imaginable you haven't done a lick of work all day

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lick

2 of 2

verb

ˈlik How to pronounce lick (audio)
1
as in to hide
to strike repeatedly your father will lick you good if he hears you using swear words

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2
as in to master
to achieve a victory over he's determined to do everything he can to lick the cancer

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of lick
Noun
But for healthy kids and adults, the occasional lick is fine, experts say. — Angela Haupt, Time, 12 Aug. 2026 Down below, Metropole Underground brings a lick of turn-of-the-century Paris to Phnom Penh, with a neat menu of bar food and cocktails inspired by Metro lines across seven countries. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 July 2026
Verb
An ancient Nazi scientist (Dan Stevens) crawling across a carpet to lick a woman’s stilettoed foot. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026 That glib self-confidence is present in McNamara, who licks the doughnut glaze off his fingers before offering his hand to the female detective questioning the one living Jason. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lick
  1. blow
  2. shred
  3. damn
  4. hide
  5. master
  6. slap
  7. splash
  8. whit
Noun
  • That blow came a little less than a year after the New York Times shook up its culture desk and reassigned its classical music critic, Zachary Woolfe, to serve as the obituaries editor.
    — Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The blow caused a minor skull fracture and a gash that required three stitches to close.
    — Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of blow
Noun
  • The congress has repeatedly amended the constitution to concentrate power in Ortega’s hands and eliminate any shred of democratic independence and dissent.
    — Sergio R. Bustos, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
  • On the greatest night of his greatest coaching feat, Sarkisian acted without grace or a shred of tact.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of shred
Noun
  • Trump is not a successful deal maker, because no deal Trump makes is worth a damn.
    — Chris Brennan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • And if that is to be the case, most Chicagoans do not give a damn whether the team goes to Arlington Heights or Hammond.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
Definition of damn
Verb
  • To her, there was nothing about the real Beck that seemed necessary to hide.
    — Josephine Reisman, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Angelenos also should ensure the lids of their trash bins are closed and block any places around their homes where fleas can enter or hide.
    — Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of hide
Verb
  • This is a technology, which Sheeran mastered in his early years as a busker, that lets a guy perform with himself, in echoes, alone, harmonizing with his own voice.
    — Naaman Zhou, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Researchers and industry experts believe the first company to master it could set off an exponential cycle of progress, pulling so far ahead that competitors can no longer catch up.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of master
Noun
  • The baby Fins were back to Earth, sweet mirage yielding to the slap of reality.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Hundreds of those grants were later reinstated when a federal judge ruled that the slap-dash nature of the terminations violated the Administrative Procedures Act, which regulates how agencies are supposed to change policies.
    — Anil Oza, STAT, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of slap
Noun
  • The momentum around derbies paused over summer—sandals always dominate the footwear scene as soon as the temperatures rise—but now that fall is here, the closed-toe shoe seems poised to make a big splash again.
    — María Munsuri, Glamour, 19 Sep. 2026
  • For all the back-to-back work, there were some splashes of imposter syndrome.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of splash
Noun
  • His adoration, here as in all things natural, is infectious, although the birds themselves care not a whit for him, and isn’t that part of the wonder, the fun?
    — Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
  • An unconventional structure or new approach bothers them not a whit.
    — Mac Barnett, Longreads, 5 May 2026
Definition of whit

Browse Nearby Words

licit
lick
licked
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Cite this Entry

“Lick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lick. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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