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
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Recent Examples of tan
His skin is tanned, similar to a Lunarian king.
—
Tyler Erzberger, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Tessum, 36, tall, lean, and tanned, already has two world records for trips to the North Pole.
—Jen Murphy, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2026
Her privileged best friend, coming off an unsatisfying nose job, takes the drug and shows up the next day blonde, tanned and ready for the runway.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026
Tall and tanned, the Portland native moved to Palm Springs, yes, during the pandemic.
—Jason Sheeler, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tan
Tyler Erzberger, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
Tessum, 36, tall, lean, and tanned, already has two world records for trips to the North Pole.
—Jen Murphy, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2026
Her privileged best friend, coming off an unsatisfying nose job, takes the drug and shows up the next day blonde, tanned and ready for the runway.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 5 Mar. 2026
Tall and tanned, the Portland native moved to Palm Springs, yes, during the pandemic.
—Jason Sheeler, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tan
Verb
-
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries lashed back at Leavitt.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Leo has not lashed out, or gotten defensive, or allowed himself to be pulled down into the gutter.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Maximilien, a French national, allegedly uploaded a clip of himself licking a straw from an iJooz vending machine before putting it back in the dispenser.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
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There’s Cassie licking a melting ice cream cone as the ice cream drips down her bare chest.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Dark Knight Rises (2012) Those of us who love her were able to finally take a breather on this one when the film bros eventually shut up and were able to admit that Hathaway totally whips ass in this franchise closer.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
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The younger Franqui, who was out on a more than $1 million bond, was also re-arrested at Los Angeles International Airport after allegedly pistol whipping a person in West Hartford.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Talley allegedly was able to hide a gun up until a CT scan was about to be performed.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
McDonald didn’t bother hiding his happiness as KU’s defense stopped a pivotal fourth down late in the second quarter.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The main space includes a custom kitchen with an induction Verona stove, leathered granite counters and a large copper farmhouse sink.—
Kaitlyn Keegan,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
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Inside, the home features 10-foot coffered ceilings, white oak floors, and a kitchen with a La Cornue range and light leathered marble countertops.—
BusinessDen,
Denver Post,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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In a historic display of dominance, the Knicks punched first and just kept pounding in Thursday night’s 140-89 victory in Game 6 at State Farm Arena to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
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As if that wasn't enough, the hospital is also in lockdown due to an active shooter, as Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) explains in the heart-pounding promo.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Verb
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On Saturday night, Curtis Nager grabbed a flashlight and left his home in unincorporated Parker County, about four miles south of Springtown, to check the outside of his property after a tornado and heavy hail pelted the area.—
Samuel O’Neal
April 27,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
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Reza Pahlavi after being pelted from behind with a red liquid in Berlin this morning.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The market — deliberately not referred to as a pantry to slash stigmas around emergency food — opened in February through a partnership between City Colleges of Chicago and the Greater Chicago Food Depository.—
Zareen Syed,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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On April 29, TSA told USA TODAY that more than 1,100 personnel have left the agency since a partial government shutdown slashed its funding more than two months ago.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tan. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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