LICKINGS Synonyms: 39 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lickings

Noun

Lose Game 2, and the Dodgers will be two defeats from a bitter winter.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Marseille ended a run of five straight defeats with a 2-0 win at fellow struggler Troyes to move out of the relegation zone.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of defeats

Noun

Xuan is also charged with delivering one of the beatings himself.

— James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
The indictment also describes a political opponent identified as Victim-3 who was subjected to beatings, sleep deprivation, threats and prolonged exposure to bright lights and loud sounds.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of beatings

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

Through schoolyard rivalries, neighborhood hustles, and family setbacks, Kev turns every disaster into a story.

— Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Despite undergoing a blood transfusion, which briefly provided a glimpse of hope, Jackie continued to suffer setbacks in her recovery due to the sickness, which remained a mystery until Wednesday's announcement by California wildlife officials.

— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 15 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.

Browse Nearby Words

licking

lickings

licks

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Lickings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lickings. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of lickings

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fervid

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes