lickings

noun

plural of licking
as in defeats
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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lickings
  1. defeats
  2. beatings
  3. losses
  4. whippings
  5. setbacks
  6. trimmings
Noun
  • Elsewhere, Leipzig bounced back from heavy defeats against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid by crushing Elversberg 4-0.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Mike Macdonald’s squad is coming off back-to-back losses to the Niners and Broncos, their first consecutive defeats since December 2024.
    — Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of defeats
Noun
  • Gershkovich was not subject to beatings, solitary confinement, or torture.
    — Terry Hartle, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Regardless of age, they were expected to sit up straight and pay attention, or suffer beatings, Teymouri said.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of beatings
Noun
  • However four of those five home losses came under former coach Alexander Straus.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
  • There are six games left this season between teams that have between zero and two conference losses.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of losses
Noun
  • Reynolds cites the early-18th-century diary of William Byrd II, who read Homer in the morning and administered whippings to refractory slaves in the afternoon.
    — James Traub, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
  • There was physical violence as well — whippings, beatings, even bricks thrown.
    — Pamela Chelin, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
Definition of whippings
Noun
  • At each step of the process, new barriers For those who set out to obtain Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, lawyers say there are increasing challenges and potential setbacks at every step of what’s already a complex process.
    — Sasha Allen, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The end result, after nearly two years of construction—and a few hair-raising logistical setbacks along the way—is The Cormorant at 55 South.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of setbacks
Noun
  • Antica Libreria Cascianelli, a bookstore full of rare books and antiques, dates back to 1909 and occupies a former dressmaking and trimmings shop.
    — Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Inside, polished wooden floors and marble trimmings set the tone, which is serious and stately.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of trimmings
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Lickings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lickings. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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