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
Noun
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All season long, the Wolves have relied on their resilience to bounce back from embarrassing defeats.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
7 May 2026 -
Jake LaRavia, who played in all 82 games for the Lakers during the regular season, simply digressed when asked what the Lakers could have learned from the quartet of defeats.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
3 May 2026
Noun
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The offseason of Mark Pope's discontent soldiers on, and the beatings will continue until talent acquisition improves.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 May 2026
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Incidents, many caught on video, include shootings, beatings, arson, land destruction, livestock theft and intimidation.—
Molly Hunter,
NBC news,
2 May 2026
Noun
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America’s chronic inability to get enough sleep comes with a real cost attached, one that researchers have put in the hundreds of billions of dollars in annual economic losses.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
4 May 2026
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Due to impacts from federal government cuts to Medi-Cal, the Board of Supervisors put a measure on the June 2 ballot, a half-cent sales tax to raise about $1 billion to stop-gap financial losses and keep hospitals and clinics functioning.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
Noun
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There was physical violence as well — whippings, beatings, even bricks thrown.—
Pamela Chelin,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
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Michael’s tendency to speak up earned him frequent whippings with his father’s belt.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Farming has always been a challenging endeavor, one that operates at the whim of external forces but with little margin for setbacks.—
The Virginian Pilot And Daily Press Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
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Building codes also pose challenges that can impact sinks and setbacks for fire safety for ovens.—
John W. Bateman,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
Noun
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People who compost their food scraps and yard trimmings can contribute to reducing landfill methane emissions; improving soil health; and sequestering carbon, according to the EPA.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
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Organized by the curatorial fellow Yifu Liu, the show has trimmings in just about every frame.—
Emilia Petrarca,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Lickings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lickings. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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