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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The team had shown signs of regression, not least in heavy defeats to Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Chelsea.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026 -
The back-to-back losses this weekend at Coors Field are the Dodgers’ first consecutive defeats of the season.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The new report also tracked an increase in antisemitic attacks that resulted in physical harm, including beatings and stone throwing.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
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Schiller can't forget the sick soundtrack that came with his daily beatings.—
Troy Roberts,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Good Jobs First report recommends that all states fully report their losses from data center tax breaks, including how those incentives affect local revenue streams.—
Kevin Hardy,
Baltimore Sun,
20 Apr. 2026
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Despite dynamite starts from Taj Bradley and Bailey Ober on Saturday and Sunday, the Twins’ relievers blew saves on consecutive days, leading to backbreaking losses.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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In September, a photo showing an enslaved man's scarred back from whippings was removed from a national monument in Georgia.—
Aida Mogos,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There have been setbacks along the way.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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But noise, as well as glare, are typically buffered with vegetative landscaping and setbacks, or the distance between the property line and the nearest structure.—
Anna Clark,
ProPublica,
24 Apr. 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 27 Apr. 2026.
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