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

Mayer’s three professional defeats have now all come in England, following split-decision losses to Alycia Baumgardner in London in 2022 and Natasha Jonas in Liverpool in 2024.

— Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
This move follows recent court defeats for the department after rules to limit PSLF were struck down, raising concerns about the broader impact on public service workers.

— Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of defeats

Noun

According to Human Rights Watch, Taliban security forces responded with beatings, shots into the crowd, detentions of protesters, and the killing of at least one boy.

— Rina Amiri, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026
Sweetwater Police, which investigated the incidents, learned about the beatings on April 22, when an officer was called to Jackson South Medical Center in reference to a hazing incident.

— Ana Claudia Chacin, Miami Herald, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of beatings

Noun

Mayer’s three professional defeats have now all come in England, following split-decision losses to Alycia Baumgardner in London in 2022 and Natasha Jonas in Liverpool in 2024.

— Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Rather than immediately exposing maneuver forces to direct contact, Russian commanders typically first attempt to inflict sufficient losses on Ukrainian defenders to make the subsequent assault more manageable.

— Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 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

Trump has placed tariffs at the center of his agenda throughout his second term in the White House, though his use of the economic tool has faced some major legal setbacks and stoked heated pushback from other countries.

— Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
Instead, the program faced regulatory hurdles, technical setbacks, and noise complaints from residents.

— Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of setbacks

Noun

The White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a plan that has yet to be finalized, said the beef in question is lean beef trimmings that are used for ground beef production.

— Seung Min Kim, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
Instead of throwing those trimmings out, Weaver found ways to put them to good use.

— Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 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 31 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of lickings

noun

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