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 drubbing
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
Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
But those Boston comebacks and the 38-point shellacking to end the Celtics’ season weren’t only because of Brunson’s late-game valiance.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The latest: After the surprise shellacking, Cook County GOP chair Sean Morrison resigned.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 9 Apr. 2025
The ever-optimistic and strikingly transparent RH CEO Gary Friedman and his company took a shellacking this week.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Noun
But the shellacking against PSG on Saturday marks the end of a cycle for the current Inter team, who at 29.1 years has the oldest squad in Serie A by average age.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
But those Boston comebacks and the 38-point shellacking to end the Celtics’ season weren’t only because of Brunson’s late-game valiance.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The latest: After the surprise shellacking, Cook County GOP chair Sean Morrison resigned.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 9 Apr. 2025
The ever-optimistic and strikingly transparent RH CEO Gary Friedman and his company took a shellacking this week.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shellacking
Noun
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That’s twice as many defeats as victories in games decided by a single run.—
Dan Schlossberg,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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That game also ended up being a soul-crushing loss for the reeling Bombers, as other newbies Camilo Doval, David Bednar and José Caballero also played pivotal parts in the defeat.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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How will Wednesday solve the mystery with her injuries and the loss of her psychic ability?—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
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The company is waiting for final results from a similar study of weight loss in people with diabetes; early results released in April indicate that the drug helped people with diabetes lower their blood sugar.—
Alice Park,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Elle was also seen whipping her hands in a circle to the music during the awards ceremony.—
Stephanie Wenger,
People.com,
6 Jan. 2025
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This instant camera captures little moments and big occasions on film, which feels a little more special than whipping out an iPhone.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
2 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Good morning, The Padres last night took their worst beating at Petco Park since before last year’s All-Star break.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Aug. 2025
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Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito all have taken beatings behind the Giants’ offensive line, especially their reserves, in recent years.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Ila Desai faced setbacks when developing Girls Count Too, a math program for fifth-grade girls.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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While appearing on Today with Jenna & Friends, the dad of two told Jenna Bush Hager that his daughter intends to get her license in September after a small setback.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Representative Mike Lawler of New York, who has hinted at ambitions for a governor bid in 2026, according to the New York Post, will need to walk a fine line between appeasing his party and not upsetting potential voters in his home state, which could put him at odds with Republicans.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
4 Jan. 2025
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These weeds require control to prevent upsetting the entire turf ecosystem.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
1 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shellacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shellacking. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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