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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in shred
a very small amount
the soup needs just a lick more of salt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in damn
the smallest amount or part imaginable
you haven't done a lick of work all day
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to hide
to strike repeatedly
your father will lick you good if he hears you using swear words
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to master
to achieve a victory over
he's determined to do everything he can to lick the cancer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of lick
Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
There is not a lick of exaggeration in that statement.
—Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 24 Mar. 2026
Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 6 May 2026
But host Kristen Kish is licking her lips at the prospect of taking the show even further afield in the future.
—Peter White, Deadline, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for lick
Noun
The Bruins didn’t play a lick of defense in their only home loss of the season – a 98-97 overtime defeat against Indiana.
—Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
There is not a lick of exaggeration in that statement.
—Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
Gilgeous-Alexander licked his chops at what Game 1 presented.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 6 May 2026
But host Kristen Kish is licking her lips at the prospect of taking the show even further afield in the future.
—Peter White, Deadline, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for lick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lick
Noun
-
Amid aspersions and attack ads, the pair nearly came to blows at a community debate.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
From there, both fighters were trading blows, but the fifth round was when Strickland had an interesting moment with Chimaev.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
The perpetrators of these crimes are savage animals without a shred of humanity.—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
14 May 2026
-
That's patently false and not supported by a shred of evidence.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Drop some of the races on tracks no one gives a damn about and showcase the old school tracks, Bristol, Talladega and Daytona get three races a season.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
Volcanoes, like stars and tides and changing seasons, don’t give a damn.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
April 20 – May 20 Your mood may be harder to hide when outside expectations press too firmly.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 May 2026
-
As someone who started wearing makeup in high school to hide my dark under-eye circles and unyielding teenage acne, color correctors and concealers have long been mainstays in my makeup bag.—
Sian Babish,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Brunson, seemingly, has mastered basketball on the offensive end.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Most people spend year one with their heads down, mastering the job.—
Andy Molinsky,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
Pannek didn’t hit the puck with a full slap shot.—
Staff Report,
Twin Cities,
9 May 2026
-
After Lane Hutson fired a slap shot that went wide and bounced back out, Newhook backhanded the puck out of the air and in off Andrei Vasilevskiy’s pad and his backside.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
His final journal entry is a geological interpretation of rain splash erosion.—
Robert M. Thorson,
The Conversation,
8 May 2026
-
Perennials are a great way to spruce up your garden and add splashes of greenery to your landscape.—
Adrienne Jordan,
Martha Stewart,
8 May 2026
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
Cite this Entry
“Lick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lick. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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