1
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
2
as in splashes
a very small amount
the soup needs just a lick more of salt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in damns
the smallest amount or part imaginable
you haven't done a lick of work all day
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in pounds
to strike repeatedly
your father will lick you good if he hears you using swear words
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in masters
to achieve a victory over
he's determined to do everything he can to lick the cancer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of 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
Magazine staffers gathered in the editor’s office and listened in awe to pedal steel licks and tight, pretty harmonies — from the Dead!
—Ben Fong-Torres, Rolling Stone, 18 Jan. 2026
Buzzing melodies of alt-rock drift over midtown and in the places in between—licks, backbeats and inspirations are traded by musicians and producers bar for bar.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
The guitarist, songwriter and record producer was not known for flashy playing, but his spare, catchy licks and solid rhythm chops helped define Memphis soul music.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025
Sean Kaufman and Christopher Briney locked licks on the Jumbotron.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Nov. 2025
Sexy guitar licks and a groovy rhythm couple together to create a fiery, catchy tune.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 30 Oct. 2025
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 16 Jan. 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
When asked the question, the owl takes the lollipop and licks it three times before chomping down on its hard shell exterior and handing the stick back to the child.
—Moná Thomas, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Hart opted to rap his part, which delighted his ecstatic band-members, the reggae-rhythm providing a steady groove and allowing for Mayer and Anastasio to trade licks back-and-forth.
—Shirley Halperin, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025
Nashville's own Grace Bowers sat in with Molly Tuttle, Vince Gill and Peter Frampton trading licks from songs written long before the 18-year-old was born.
—Melonee Hurt, Nashville Tennessean, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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
Magazine staffers gathered in the editor’s office and listened in awe to pedal steel licks and tight, pretty harmonies — from the Dead!
—Ben Fong-Torres, Rolling Stone, 18 Jan. 2026
Buzzing melodies of alt-rock drift over midtown and in the places in between—licks, backbeats and inspirations are traded by musicians and producers bar for bar.
—Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
The guitarist, songwriter and record producer was not known for flashy playing, but his spare, catchy licks and solid rhythm chops helped define Memphis soul music.
—Christian Orozco, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025
Sean Kaufman and Christopher Briney locked licks on the Jumbotron.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Nov. 2025
Sexy guitar licks and a groovy rhythm couple together to create a fiery, catchy tune.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
Then, Mitski licks up the blood on the girl’s finger.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 16 Jan. 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
When asked the question, the owl takes the lollipop and licks it three times before chomping down on its hard shell exterior and handing the stick back to the child.
—Moná Thomas, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Hart opted to rap his part, which delighted his ecstatic band-members, the reggae-rhythm providing a steady groove and allowing for Mayer and Anastasio to trade licks back-and-forth.
—Shirley Halperin, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025
Nashville's own Grace Bowers sat in with Molly Tuttle, Vince Gill and Peter Frampton trading licks from songs written long before the 18-year-old was born.
—Melonee Hurt, Nashville Tennessean, 14 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for licks
Noun
-
Ukraine’s constant innovation in drone technology is giving its military an edge on the battlefield, dealing major blows to Russia’s army and economy.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Israel and Lebanon are currently scheduled to engage in direct talks in Washington on Tuesday as Israel and Hezbollah continue to trade blows.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Don't expect any big splashes, though.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
-
The water-resistant outer material guards your essentials against splashes, while elastic straps and multiple pockets help keep your bottles upright.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Irons pounds the drums like Bam-Bam smashing on two garbage-can lids.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Macron said France is expending diplomatic capital to ensure a return to calm and to allow for the Lebanese armed forces to assert themselves as Israel pounds Hezbollah positions.—
Sylvie Corbet,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Levy masters one hilarious perplexed comedic reaction after another as Nicky, a closeted pastor with a zany, highly dysfunctional family.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The future belongs to the developer who masters the ability to break down human expertise into reusable agent skills.—
Mohith Shrivastava,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Denver Post gave Friednash, a corporate Democratic centrist mouthpiece, the opportunity to take swipes at Melat Kiros, who garnered nearly two-thirds of the caucus vote for the 1st Congressional District race.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Xi’s outreach to Cheng came along with overt swipes at Taiwan’s current government under President Lai Ching-te, who is shunned by Beijing as a dangerous ‘separatist’ for rejecting China’s claim that Taiwan is its territory.—
Janis Mackey Frayer,
NBC news,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The property was once a 19th-century Catholic school and church campus, complete with a rectory and nunnery, and each room has a rotary phone and other touches of the not-so-distant past.—
Kate Kassin,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Each private suite, which can fit for one or two passengers, has a smooth, curved exterior with touches of silver, much like a supercar.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Wiseman said to hoots from the crowd of media gathered at the site.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Owl hoots are most effective at striking up turkeys when owls are naturally active, which is around dawn and dusk.—
Natalie Krebs,
Outdoor Life,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Her lips were lightly blurred (as is the contemporary trend) and brown-nude, while eyeshadow was kept light, and lashes delicately curled.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Conditioning ingredients like provitamin B5 and mango butter help lashes feel soft and flexible.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Licks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licks. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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