LICKS Synonyms: 399 Similar and Opposite Words

licks 1 of 2

noun

plural of lick

as in blows

a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument gave the ball a solid lick with the bat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in splashes

a very small amount the soup needs just a lick more of salt

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in damns

the smallest amount or part imaginable you haven't done a lick of work all day

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licks

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of lick

as in pounds

to strike repeatedly your father will lick you good if he hears you using swear words

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as in masters

to achieve a victory over he's determined to do everything he can to lick the cancer

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of licks

Noun

Zachary Stevenson’s performance replicates the nerdy-yet-hip Texan through impressive guitar licks and superb vocals that are equally comfortable with sweet ballads and on-the-edge rockabilly songs. — Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 11 June 2026 Elk, deer, and buffalo had migrated to and from mineral licks throughout North America for millennia. — Literary Hub, 10 June 2026 The footage, shared to social media, features Hagen's Shaggy picking up Scooby and getting a few licks on his face. — Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026 Albert Collins Known as The Master Of The Telecaster, Albert Collins was both blues legend and wild-eyed showman, picking out licks on his 1966 Custom Tele, usually in an open tuning, with a capo on the neck. — New Atlas, 30 May 2026 A lot of freedom going on between the guitars, a lotta little licks intermingle with the big guitar licks that the song is all about. — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 22 May 2026 Eventually music theory discussion turned to actual licks. — Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026 She was known to sneak butter from the fridge to enjoy a few finger licks. — ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026 Miami got some good licks on Mendoza, bloodying his lip early on a shot from Jakobe Thomas that probably could have drawn a flag for targeting. — Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2026

Verb

Food stands also debuted that year, with ribs sizzling along with the blues licks. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 9 June 2026 At one point in a dinner scene, Shields' Erika licks Joey's fingers. — Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 6 June 2026 A lot of freedom going on between the guitars, a lotta little licks intermingle with the big guitar licks that the song is all about. — Liza Lentini, SPIN, 22 May 2026 At one point A’zion licks the digitally de-aged Mick Jagger’s face. — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026 While Deborah licks her wounds from bombing very, very hard, the Frank interview plays. — Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 1 May 2026 After the drill, Ruin rolls onto his back, then licks a reporter's nose. — Megan Sauer tasia Jensen, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026 Weir picked up his first guitar licks from David Nelson and future Jefferson Airplane member Jorma Kaukonen. — Richard Gehr, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2026 Posted to the account @maisythemarshmallow on September 19, the video shows the dog, named Maisy, lying calmly as the cat snuggles up and licks her face. — Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for licks

Noun

Holloway, even a Holloway who is nearing the end of his career with a somewhat suspect chin and ability to absorb heavy blows, wins this fight more times than not.

— Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Rolling with the punches, though, is harder when the blows keep landing on the starting rotation.

— Jesús Cano, New York Times, 7 July 2026

Definition of blows

Verb

Back from a hamstring injury, Teoscar Hernández rejoins a relentless Dodgers offense that pounds 17 hits and three homers in a 9-4 win over the Athletics.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
Teams go bonkers when the player pounds their school name on the bracket.

— John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2026

Definition of pounds

Verb

The industry is in the middle of a transition from copper interconnects to optical solutions, and the company that masters low-latency, high-bandwidth data movement holds a structural advantage.

— Steve McDowell, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Finally, Kim masters the steps and takes to the stage with confidence, as her family cheers her on!

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 May 2026

Definition of masters

Noun

Think of it like a team of pickpockets, one of which walks up to ask you for directions while the other swipes your wallet.

— Alan Henry, PC Magazine, 10 July 2026
Make careful vertical swipes, run the vegetable peeler down the sides of the fruit, following its curves to trim closely between the skin and the flesh.

— Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 July 2026

Definition of swipes

Noun

The soaking tub is perfectly positioned to take in the glittering city lights, and thoughtful tech touches—like a smartphone charging pad and a thermostat that tells the temperature indoors and out—make life easier.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 July 2026
So the charge for leaders is not to keep humans hovering over every decision AI touches.

— Oded Netzer, Fortune, 13 July 2026

Definition of touches

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lickings

licks

lickspittle

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Style

“Licks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licks. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of licks

noun

verb

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