1
as in to hide
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
Relevance
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
At the center of it all, John Summit — tanned, smiling, his shirt unbuttoned to a chest level that suggested a regular workout routine — threw up heart hands while manning the cockpit of CDJs before him.
—
Katie Bain, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2025
More than 90% of global leather production uses chrome tanning methods that can harm both workers and the environment.
—Christopher Marquis, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
By 2024, the number of U.S. tanning salon establishments dwindled to fewer than 21,000, per IBISWorld.
—Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2025
Guests who are 21 years of age and older can enjoy other adults-only spaces and amenities like a warming pool, swim-up bars, as well as a tanning pool.
—Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tan
Katie Bain, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2025
More than 90% of global leather production uses chrome tanning methods that can harm both workers and the environment.
—Christopher Marquis, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025
By 2024, the number of U.S. tanning salon establishments dwindled to fewer than 21,000, per IBISWorld.
—Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 8 Mar. 2025
Guests who are 21 years of age and older can enjoy other adults-only spaces and amenities like a warming pool, swim-up bars, as well as a tanning pool.
—Carly Caramanna, Travel + Leisure, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tan
Verb
-
Unfortunately, the cause of the odor is often hidden.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Liv is forced to break up with her human fiancé, Major (Robert Buckley) to avoid infecting him, and becomes estranged from her best friend and roommate Peyton (Aly Michalka), hiding her new zombie nature from both.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Flames were licking the upper branches of tall trees.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
-
While investors are licking their wounds from a plunging stock market, and businesses brace for economic fallout, major investment banks are reaping extraordinary profits, according to Wall Street Journal.—
Jack Kelly,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Underneath her coat, Witherspoon wore an ankle-length black skirt and leather round-toe boots.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
28 Jan. 2025
-
Compare with the Met’s full-size cast, from 1985, and these miniatures cleave the collective anguish into distinct emotions — one figure seems mid-dance, one bored, another ecstatic — in a range of patinas, from dark chocolate to leather.—
Walker Mimms,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
For those interested in exploring opportunities in the legal cannabis space, pounding the pavement can be a heady process.—
Iris Dorbian,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Russia pounded Kyiv in an hourslong barrage Thursday, killing at least 12 people and injuring 87 in its deadliest assault on the Ukrainian capital since July.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
That means the weather was ripe for fire, and wind gusts of up to 25 miles per hour quickly whipped the fire toward inhabited areas.—
Stephanie Pappas,
Scientific American,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Get The Recipe 11 of 25 Lemon-Lime Poke Cake This recipe dresses up a white cake mix with a citrus-spiked filling and whipped topping.—
Mary Alice Russell,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Verdugo lashed hard line drives in his first two at-bats with the Braves, off Twins pitcher Chris Paddack.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Apr. 2025
-
A day after his remarks, the president lashed out against the Fed chair.—
Rachel Barber,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The Trump administration wants to significantly cut NASA’s budget next year, slashing science research funding in half, a reduction that would halt the launch of a high-tech space telescope and curtail other planetary exploration missions.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Nimmo is slashing mere .202/.253/.381 this season, but Sunday’s heroics could be a sign of changing fortune.—
James O'Connell,
New York Daily News,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Eastern Hills goalkeeper Sincere Williams was pelted for much of the game, stopping 20 of the 24 shots on goal.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Or navigate tricky social and strategic dynamics at Tribal Council while being pelted by driving rain?—
EW Staff Published,
EW.com,
20 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tan. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share