shellacking 1 of 2

noun

shə-ˈla-kiŋ How to pronounce shellacking (audio)
Definition of shellackingnext
as in defeat
failure to win a contest suffered a shellacking at the hands of a vastly superior opposition

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shellacking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of shellac
as in whipping
to defeat by a large margin the local football team was shellacked 35-0 in their final outing for the season

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 shellacking
Noun
But those utterly non-competitive back-to-back shellackings at the hands of the Oilers and Ducks this week? — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2026 With the second-round shellacking, Texas is in the Sweet 16 round for the fifth time in head coach Vic Schaefer's six-year tenure. — Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 22 Mar. 2026
Verb
Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium* The Colts, before collapsing, arguably had their best game of their season in the opener against the Dolphins, a 33-8 shellacking in Indiana. — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 5 Jan. 2026 This game was much closer than the 41-17 shellacking the Ravens gave the Browns back in Week 2. — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shellacking
  1. defeat
  2. whipping
  3. loss
  4. bombing
  5. beating
  6. drubbing
  7. setback
  8. overcoming
Noun
  • Two points away from defeat, Ivanisevic rallies to beat Rafter 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 2-6, 9-7 and becomes the second player to win a Wimbledon singles title without being seeded.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • That film culminated in the brutal defeat of House Atreides by rival House Harkonnen, with Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), fleeing to the desert and taking refuge among the Fremen.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026
Definition of defeat
Verb
  • Onstage, Shakira unleashed her inner rock star during the song, working the stage and the mic stand in a purple corset and matching fringe pants and whipping her lengthy curls like a weapon.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • Olise kept his intentions hidden to the last, shaping up to cross the ball to the back post before sharply turning his hips and whipping his pass into the goalscorer’s path, breaking two defensive lines along the way.
    — Thom Harris, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of whipping
Noun
  • But the uninspired all-around performance sealed a series loss on the final weekend of the season’s first half.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2026
  • Garbrandt, once an undefeated bantamweight king, now holds a 15-8 record, with most losses coming by finish.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 12 July 2026
Definition of loss
Verb
  • French officials condemned the damage to the ancient monastery, comparing it to bombing Notre-Dame, while Ukrainian religious leaders called it a crime against humanity.
    — Mark Temnycky, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • Another bad fix bombing out the moment it was most needed.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 June 2026
Definition of bombing
Noun
  • The woman told deputies that over three days she was repeatedly beaten, pistol-whipped and strangled into near unconsciousness before receiving yet another beating Sunday morning.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026
  • Jackson agreed to plead no contest to battery in May for the beating of professional wrestler Stuart Smith at a KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy event in Sun Valley.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of beating
Verb
  • The mighty Mariners, who mashed five solo home runs at raucous T-Mobile Park, clinched their title by drubbing Major League Baseball’s doormat, aka the Colorado Rockies, 9-2.
    — Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025
Definition of drubbing
Noun
  • That is expected to be a setback to Hanwha Ocean, as the contract was estimated to be up to $100 billion over three decades, according to The Korea Times.
    — Justina Lee, CNBC, 7 July 2026
  • Bryant Vincent’s team has teased in each of his first two years in Monroe, starting 3-1 last season before the roof caved in with eight straight setbacks.
    — Tom Layberger, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of setback
Verb
  • Norway reached the quarterfinal with a 2-1 win over Brazil on Sunday and England advanced with a thrilling 3-2 victory over host Mexico after overcoming a weather delay, red card, altitude and a raucous crowd at 80,000-seat Estadio Azteca.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
  • Lionel Messi and Argentina avoided one of the biggest ever World Cup knockout shocks by overcoming Cape Verde 3-2 in extra time of a jaw-dropping game.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of overcoming

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Cite this Entry

“Shellacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shellacking. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on shellacking

Nglish: Translation of shellacking for Spanish Speakers

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