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tan

verb

ˈtan How to pronounce tan (audio)
Definition of tannext
1
as in to lash
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible Grandpa told us that when he was a kid, if he misbehaved at all, his father would tan his backside with a belt

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly a time when children were routinely tanned for misbehavior

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 tan Treatments include hot pools and steam rooms, wax wraps and tanning barrels, plus hearty healthy meals. — Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 The first version was a tanning oil with benzyl salicylate that promised a safer tan but ultimately had extremely low SPF (a term that wasn’t introduced until 1974). — Kara McGrath, Allure, 16 June 2026 But will the new ingredient win the trust of Make America Healthy Again skeptics and Gen Zers intentionally tanning? — Michael Scaturro, Miami Herald, 15 June 2026 Tanning beds are not a safer option than tanning outside. — Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for tan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tan
  1. leather
  2. lick
  3. whip
  4. hide
  5. slash
  6. pound
  7. lash
  8. pelt
Verb
  • Those getting leathered up are Léa Seydoux, Dave Bautista, Kelvin Harrison Jr, Lily-Rose Depp, Doona Bae, Riley Keough, Chris Pine and Cate Blanchett.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The primary bath’s limestone floor tiles and deeply veined Cielo leathered quartzite reinforce the space’s quiet, earthy palette.
    — Laura Fenton, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of leather
Verb
  • There was the physician who analyzed the growth rate of his fingernails for 35 years and the geologist who looked into why his colleagues lick rocks.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026
  • An ancient Nazi scientist (Dan Stevens) crawling across a carpet to lick a woman’s stilettoed foot.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of lick
Verb
  • Who wouldn’t like to whip out a formula that enabled you to judge this action as evil and the other as merely wrong?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Michele plays Darcy Miles, a Pilates Princess and trainer who, when asked to whip her girls into shape, flexes her muscles too hard.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of whip
Verb
  • Cuts to public agencies have coincided with outbreaks of infectious and foodborne diseases, to the point that the administration is trying to manipulate numbers to hide measles deaths.
    — Adam Serwer, The Atlantic, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The restaurant is also available for private-dining bookings with a room that can instantly tint its glass, hiding diners with the flip of a switch.
    — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of hide
Verb
  • The new approach, the research team explains, could replace the current slow, labor-intensive process, ultimately slashing the cost of production.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The background of the film is the budget slashes that are happening in this sector all over the Western world, as the government withdraws its own form of care.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of slash
Verb
  • With styles rooted in Texas, Kansas City, North Carolina and Memphis, barbecue often elicits table-pounding opinions.
    — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Russian overnight strikes also pounded western Ukraine, though there were no immediate reports of casualties.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of pound
Verb
  • These are just two of the many scenes of destruction the hurricane has left in Hawaii after lashing the state’s western islands with heavy rain, widespread flooding and tropical-storm-force winds on Monday and Tuesday.
    — Liz Kreutz, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026
  • On another social media app, X, Ellin continued to lash out against the ad.
    — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of lash
Verb
  • This year, rain pelted the ground and the side of the building during the ceremony.
    — Miles J. Herszenhorn, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Damaging winds and heavy rains from Hurricane Lowell were pelting Hawaii's western islands early Tuesday, bringing the threat of floods, mudslides and tornadoes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of pelt

Browse Nearby Words

tams
tan
tandem
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tan. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tan

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tan

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