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
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Recent Examples of lick
Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 24 Mar. 2026
The biggest lick, or score, was often jewelry, gold pieces that the woman could melt down into untraceable bars the length and width of a credit card, the thickness of a bar of chocolate.
—Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
Seals off The San Diego Seals (6-8) are off this weekend and licking their wounds following a crushing 9-8 home loss to Buffalo on Saturday.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lick
Noun
There is not a lick of exaggeration in that statement.
—Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 24 Mar. 2026
The biggest lick, or score, was often jewelry, gold pieces that the woman could melt down into untraceable bars the length and width of a credit card, the thickness of a bar of chocolate.
—Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
Five caribou stood licking at the stain.
—Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
Seals off The San Diego Seals (6-8) are off this weekend and licking their wounds following a crushing 9-8 home loss to Buffalo on Saturday.
—Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lick
Noun
-
The development marks a blow to Washington’s support for Orban’s reelection and comes after Magyar’s Tisza party was viewed as the favorite to win in the April 12 election, holding a 10-point lead over the ruling Fidesz party, according to Politico’s polling analysis.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Freiburg and Switzerland midfielder Johan Manzambi received a blow to his knee late in the game and needed support to walk off the field afterward.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Dennard offered a shred of advice.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Only film-lover Bella retains a shred of optimism into adulthood, having started a new romance with a film usher.—
Charles Lewis III,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
What is emerging instead is a stewardship model that treats vital ecosystems, like coral reefs, as dynamic systems requiring maintenance, repair, and adaptation, much like roads, damns, and power grids.—
Bill Frist,
Forbes.com,
23 Feb. 2026
-
My parents have no idea what’s happening because legacy media is not reporting on anything worth a damn.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Neither made any attempt to hide their contempt for the other from the media or the public.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Unlike other bands who have used a hiatus as an excuse to hide acrimony, James says the members went their separate ways with zero animosity.—
Daniel Kohn,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If ever mastered, this could help things like submarines navigate freely underwater without ever having to surface.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Not every skill needs to be mastered from day one.—
Karla Vallecillo,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Kimmell gained the Ducks’ zone, faking a slap shot and then curling back toward the blue line to find a trailing Haula.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The bearded blueliner has skated through the bumps and bruises that come with delivering checks and deflecting slap shots.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Another guy who drew a lot of attention during the season (and throughout his career as a splash player) was Oklahoma edge R Mason Thomas.—
Nick Baumgardner,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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If all goes according to plan, its protective heat shield and a sequence of massive parachutes will ensure that the capsule—and the four astronauts inside—will land with a gentle splash in the Pacific Ocean at a leisurely 17 miles per hour.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Moreover, Trump cares not a whit about bringing drug traffickers to justice.—
Peter Kornbluh,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Miss Keaton…is not a whit like the flustered ingénue she was cast to play.—
Chris Morris,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lick. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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