as in beating
failure to win a contest
our team took a licking last night, but we'll get them next time
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pounding
to strike repeatedly
your father will lick you good if he hears you using swear words
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in defeating
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
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Recent Examples of licking
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
By listening to these cues, including tail wagging and lip licking, humans can deepen their relationships with their canine companions.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025
Erotica assumes shared association, touching, stroking, licking, looking, playing, exposing.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for licking
Noun
Her dog had multiple litters before and knew licking helped.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
By listening to these cues, including tail wagging and lip licking, humans can deepen their relationships with their canine companions.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
Verb
Despite her best efforts, 4-year-old Dewey eventually succeeded in wriggling his way over to the sleeping man, enthusiastically licking him awake.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025
Erotica assumes shared association, touching, stroking, licking, looking, playing, exposing.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for licking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for licking
Noun
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The Republic first tied the Goons to the fatal group beating of Preston Lord, 16.—
Elena Santa Cruz,
AZCentral.com,
8 July 2025
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Shooting after shooting, a dark tally of beatings and murder.—
Will Potter
July 7,
Literary Hub,
7 July 2025
Verb
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But the unhappy ending is especially head-pounding for Saxon Ratliff (Patrick Schwarzenegger).—
Bryan Alexander,
USA TODAY,
24 Mar. 2025
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Queen finished with a team-best 17 points, but Maryland frequently settled for outside jumpers instead of pounding the ball inside to Queen and Julian Reese.—
Lindsay Schnell,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Sunday’s defeat capped a roller-coaster first half in which the Yankees jumped out to a 42-25 record, only to follow with a 6-16 skid that included two separate six-game losing streaks.—
Peter Sblendorio,
Hartford Courant,
13 July 2025
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And moments of a 3-2 defeat to the Sounders showed the gap between where KC is at compared to the true competitors in the league.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
13 July 2025
Verb
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But over the past two terms of the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, these vendors were accused of hiding their identity, of pretending to be Hindu.—
Ismat Ara,
TIME,
15 Mar. 2025
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Davis standing alongside Withers struck me as a classy gesture, and Withers answering for his mistake rather than hiding from the media was another.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
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While State Farm contends that out-of-state losses do not directly affect Illinois premiums, at least one industry analyst said there is a potential connection.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
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The effects could lead to closures, job losses, and weakening of the domestic textile and apparel industry.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Elle was also seen whipping her hands in a circle to the music during the awards ceremony.—
Stephanie Wenger,
People.com,
6 Jan. 2025
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This instant camera captures little moments and big occasions on film, which feels a little more special than whipping out an iPhone.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
2 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The unit uses tools that were once the preserve of the world’s top mastering houses and is inspired by the artistry of mastering engineers.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
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From entry-level careers to the C-suite, mastering soft skills opens up leadership opportunities.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Daniels offers men's cuts in addition to beard trimming.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
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Microsoft’s current cuts were preceded by the trimming of 6,000 employees in May.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Licking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licking. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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