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
Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2025
Roosevelt has scored 88 points in its last two games, including a 40-22 shellacking of 4A Ponderosa.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 24 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
Following a two-week international break, Pellegrino started at Portland last week and scored twice more in a 4-0 shellacking that gave SDFC the Western Conference title.
—Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2025
Roosevelt has scored 88 points in its last two games, including a 40-22 shellacking of 4A Ponderosa.
—Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 24 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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Paramount has refused to accept defeat, launching a hostile takeover to attempt to claim its rival — a pursuit that Warner board members are fighting.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
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The result was a catastrophic defeat for the Confederacy.—
Jamelle Bouie,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Doncic played a role in both clutch shots, first whipping a one-handed pass behind his back across the court to Gabe Vincent, who shoveled the ball with one hand to Hachimura.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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Would the place that had been home for months withstand the whipping winds?—
Ginny Monk,
Hartford Courant,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But those guards fell crashing down on Wednesday night in a brutally honest assessment of his team following Boise State’s (9-6, 1-3 Mountain West) 75-58 home loss to Grand Canyon (9-5, 2-1) at ExtraMile Arena.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
8 Jan. 2026
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Despite the losses, Damon traveled to Texas and won the national title, dedicating the victory to his family and supporters.—
Nina Burns,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Last June, after indirect nuclear negotiations collapsed, the United States joined Israel in a 12-day war with Iran, bombing three of the country’s key nuclear facilities.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
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The cross on this painting is a target, like when bombing with a drone.—
Thomas Patier,
Artforum,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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School desegregation, voting rights and public-accommodation battles – especially across the South – had led to shootings and beatings of African Americans by white counterprotesters and police.—
Josh Meyer,
USA Today,
10 Jan. 2026
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Non-league Macclesfield Town produced one of the FA Cup’s most startling soccer upsets on Saturday beating titleholders Crystal Palace 2–1 in a third‑round thriller.—
Reuters 17 hr ago,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 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 world champion didn’t let this setback stop him from starting his 2026 as the fastest man in history.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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This represents the latest setback in a tumultuous season for Morant, who had missed six games with an injured right calf before returning Sunday for the Grizzlies' 126-109 victory over the Orlando Magic in London.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Here’s her strategy for overcoming procrastination.—
Sophie Caldwell,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
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For Nayyar, overcoming user hesitancy, particularly among older generations, has been an ongoing educational process.—
Esha Chhabra,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shellacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shellacking. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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