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
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Recent Examples of licking
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
Predictably, Korda took a licking.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 20 Apr. 2026
Both have walked away from battles licking their wounds.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for licking
Noun
The clacking of mouth-swab petrie dishes as they’re loaded into boxes for shipping, the line-by-line licking of complimentary doughnuts at the front desk.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
Predictably, Korda took a licking.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
There’s Cassie licking a melting ice cream cone as the ice cream drips down her bare chest.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 20 Apr. 2026
Both have walked away from battles licking their wounds.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for licking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for licking
Noun
-
And then there were the beatings.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
The ex-death row inmate was first convicted and sentenced to death in 1998 after being found guilty of ordering the fatal beating of his boss, Barry Van Treese, per CNN.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
JWords takes a different tack on Sound Therapy, embracing gentle synth melodies and pads that take the edge off her skittering drums and pounding basslines.—
Stephen Kearse,
Pitchfork,
11 May 2026
-
Apple Bank of America said Apple remains a table-pounding buy.—
Michael Bloom,
CNBC,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
La Catalina had her first match in AAA, defeating Jessy Jackson.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
-
In the process of winning 14 straight division championships from 1991-2005, Cox appeared in four other World Series, losing to Gillick’s Blue Jays in 1992 and the Yankees in 1996 and ’99 but defeating the Indians in 1995.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
Burton finished with 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting in the first defeat for Golden State (2-1).—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
-
On Wednesday, his son’s header was responsible for the Quakes’ first defeat since a 1-0 home loss to these Sounders on March 15.—
Jon Becker,
Mercury News,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Not every summer movie needs to be a mystery that unfolds hallway after hallway, with a creature hiding around every corner ready to pop out.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
This means that bills get hearings, debates happen in public, and legislators are required to vote on issues instead of hiding behind process.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The Louisiana native told me that overcoming his native cuisine was half the battle in that redshirt year.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
The biggest obstacle was overcoming low expectations.—
Zoya Hasan,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The index is back in the green after steep losses at the end of last week.—
Leonie Kidd,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
Later this spring, the 1 X Vitahealth Medi Spa will open and offer things like hormone balancing, weight loss, nutritional consulting, and custom IV therapies.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
It was delivered by the 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama, whose torso uncorked in a fit of frustration that sent his right elbow whipping toward Reid’s windpipe like a torpedo bat flying through the strike zone.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
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That abundance of tall buildings also contributes to the city’s famous wind, which was really whipping all four days of our visit.—
Jess Fleming,
Twin Cities,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Licking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licking. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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