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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for lickings

Noun

The Wildcats have had two painfully close defeats, falling 24-23 to Tuskegee before losing 34-33 in overtime to unbeaten Benedict.

— Wilton Jackson, AJC.com, 25 Sep. 2026
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vows to stay the course after historic defeats in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where his CDU was ejected from parliament for the first time.

— Geir Moulson, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of defeats

Noun

At the two-week trial, three victims recounted beatings while suspended from pipes on the ceiling and the use of a device that folded their bodies in half at the waist.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
Immigrants held there and their families have long described the facility as a detention center where complaints were met with beatings, meager meals and inhuman treatment.

— Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of beatings

Noun

In those losses, he’s credited for 10 carries for minus-38 yards (sacks count as rushing yards in college football).

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2026
Bibee, whose 15 losses are tied for the major-league lead, sees the playoffs as a reset.

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 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

Shelford addressed the deckhand’s absence during the episode as his crew grappled with a series of setbacks.

— Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2026
But during the shutdown, Brightline ended the deal with Branson’s Virgin Group, saying that the company’s reputation had diminished as a result of financial setbacks.

— David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of setbacks

Noun

Inside, polished wooden floors and marble trimmings set the tone, which is serious and stately.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026
Additionally, the tariff exemptions only apply to beef trimmings, which are blended with other cuts to make ground beef.

— Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of trimmings

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licking

lickings

licks

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“Lickings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lickings. Accessed 28 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of lickings

noun

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