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
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
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Recent Examples of shellacking
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
Without starting quarterback Bryce Young (ankle), Carolina looked overmatched by the Bills in the 31-point shellacking at home.
—Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2025
Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 17 Nov. 2025
While Cincinnati’s visit to Detroit was one of the more intriguing matchups on the fall calendar, the loss of Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ subsequent 48-10 shellacking under the horns of the Vikings have made the team a liability of sorts.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Noun
Perhaps the good vibes helped his teammates in their most dominant win of the season, the 10-2 shellacking of the Blueshirts.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 13 Jan. 2026
Without starting quarterback Bryce Young (ankle), Carolina looked overmatched by the Bills in the 31-point shellacking at home.
—Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 26 Oct. 2025
Verb
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
While Cincinnati’s visit to Detroit was one of the more intriguing matchups on the fall calendar, the loss of Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ subsequent 48-10 shellacking under the horns of the Vikings have made the team a liability of sorts.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shellacking
Noun
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All season long, the Wolves have relied on their resilience to bounce back from embarrassing defeats.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
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The defeat snapped a five-game winning streak for the pinstripers.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
Verb
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If the frosting seems soft and dense, give it a chill before whipping again.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
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Later that evening, three rounds of hail inundated the house, followed by two bouts of whipping winds.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The day after that loss, per team sources, Brunson approached the team before practice about needing to re-shift the collective mindset.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
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The Aces, who were coming off a 33-point blowout opening day loss to Phoenix on Saturday, scored 33 of their points in the third quarter and that’s when the wheels fell off for the Sparks.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Underlying tensions are taut, Iran thinks the US blockade is a violation, the UAE is still smarting from Iranian missile attacks Monday and Tuesday, and Israel is torching a key plank of the ceasefire deal, re-escalating in Lebanon by bombing Hezbollah leaders.—
Jennifer Hansler,
CNN Money,
7 May 2026
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Trump claimed Friday that the law is a moot point because the United States is no longer bombing Iran.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
2 May 2026
Noun
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Perhaps repair some divots on a court that took a beating Saturday night.—
Steve Fryer,
Oc Register,
10 May 2026
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Each day, they are filled with one-dimensional stories of beatings, stabbing and shootings — all sad accounts of a city in decline.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
10 May 2026
Verb
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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
Noun
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The Bucs avenged a 12-10 loss and a 16-8 setback in the two regular-season matchups between the two teams.—
Alex Kushel,
Sun Sentinel,
10 May 2026
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On Saturday, the schools learned how much the setbacks affected their playoff seeding.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
9 May 2026
Verb
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The author is an entrepreneur and working on a book about overcoming betrayal.—
Emily Bryn Williams,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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Two years ago, Romeo and her family celebrated her evolution as a performer after overcoming previous struggles.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shellacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shellacking. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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