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

Over the past two months, Republican lawmakers have suffered major defeats on some of their most high-profile policy initiatives.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026
Then came three more defeats, capped by a 12-1 embarrassment on Saturday against the AL East champion Rays.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 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

The average user on both a sportsbook and prediction market loses money, and trying to claw back losses puts users in even deeper financial holes, experts warn.

— Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
Despite the sloppy showing by BYU and a dominant defensive performance, TCU failed to capitalize, as the Horned Frogs continue to struggle to score against Power Four conference teams (averaging 11 points per game, all in losses).

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Oct. 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

Understanding, Duminil-Copin argued, is not gained solely through theorems and proofs but also through setbacks.

— Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2026
To avoid any setbacks and ensure the young prince’s safety, the school has already banned photography and as smartphones on campus.

— Annabelle Dufraigne, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 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

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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 5 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of lickings

noun

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