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
Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
The mayoral recount was requested by Domingos DaRosa, who finished third in the mayoral primary to Mayor Michelle Wu and Josh Kraft — who has since dropped out after a 49-point shellacking by Wu.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 8 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
The Golden Flashes held off FCS Merrimack 21-17 in its home opener before taking a 62-14 shellacking at then-No. 24 Texas Tech on Sept. 6.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
The mayoral recount was requested by Domingos DaRosa, who finished third in the mayoral primary to Mayor Michelle Wu and Josh Kraft — who has since dropped out after a 49-point shellacking by Wu.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
And it certainly can be noticed, both in its abundance, and in the case of the Warriors’ 129-104 shellacking on Friday night at the hands of the Nuggets in an Emirates Cup group stage matchup, in its absence.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 8 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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Auburn fell to 4-5 on the year after the Week 10 defeat to the Wildcats.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Although Ukraine for now is still maintaining a defense, the fall of Pokrovsk would be one of the most serious defeats Ukraine has suffered since March, when its troops were forced to retreat from Russia's Kursk region.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The windproof and thermal wool blend fabric is the perfect shell to protect you on the many fall days in Paris, as the whipping wind adds an unexpected cool factor while strolling around town.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
2 Nov. 2025
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Strong, whipping winds are expected to continue across Jamaica throughout the night.—
Matt Nighswander,
NBC news,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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This means clear ownership, strategic leadership, and, above all, profit-and-loss accountability.—
Phil Gilbert,
Fortune,
12 Nov. 2025
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Three years later, a clinical study of the Pro, paid for by Stryker, found that 1 in 4 patients experienced complications after getting the implant, ranging from infection to avascular necrosis, the death of bone tissue due to loss of blood.—
Elizabeth B. Kim,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
12 Nov. 2025
Verb
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An art conservator who'd prefer to be immersed in detail work, Sarah is bombing as the host of a dinner party where her entrepreneur husband (Tom Riley) hopes to impress an obnoxious prospective investor (Tom Goodman-Hill) when a literal explosive goes off in her neighborhood.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
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Trump has often expressed verbal frustration with Putin, accusing him of making positive diplomatic noises before bombing Ukrainian civilians again, but until now had avoided taking direct action.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The man previously on Florida’s Death Row for beating, stabbing and strangling a La Carreta waitress with a rice cooker — before lighting a blaze to destroy key evidence — should be condemned to die, Miami prosecutors told a jury after detailing the slaying on Wednesday morning.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
5 Nov. 2025
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Predictably, Mike responds to Kyle’s beating by meddling further.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
2 Nov. 2025
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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China’s private rocket maker Galactic Energy suffered a setback after its Ceres-1 rocket failed during launch on Monday, resulting in the loss of three satellites.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
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The Ceres-1 bounced back from that problem, notching 11 consecutive successes before Sunday night's setback.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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DiMarco’s participation became a highlight of the event, with the student asking thoughtful questions about overcoming imposter syndrome and handling rejection.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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And that religion, like music, can carry the sound of struggle – but also the hope of one day overcoming the injustices and inequalities of everyday life.—
Ken Chitwood,
The Conversation,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shellacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shellacking. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
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