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
Simply add a few pumps to a tanning mitt and use long sweeping motions all over your body, and leave it on for a minimum of six hours.
—
Lily Wohlner, Allure, 28 Dec. 2025
That hide is shipped overseas, usually to Asia, to be tanned into leather.
—Luke Fountain, CNBC, 25 Dec. 2025
He was also tanned, and hadn’t had a chance to fix a missing lower tooth.
—Ian Parker, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
In the new study, researchers conducted a gene analysis in 182 skin biopsies from tanning bed users and tracked mutation patterns.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tan
Lily Wohlner, Allure, 28 Dec. 2025
That hide is shipped overseas, usually to Asia, to be tanned into leather.
—Luke Fountain, CNBC, 25 Dec. 2025
He was also tanned, and hadn’t had a chance to fix a missing lower tooth.
—Ian Parker, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
In the new study, researchers conducted a gene analysis in 182 skin biopsies from tanning bed users and tracked mutation patterns.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tan
Verb
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All testers dug the cavernous main compartment, which features stretchy crisscrossing straps that helped lash clothes down, keeping contents organized on the road.—
Drew Zieff,
Outside,
17 Feb. 2026
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Clinton, instead of delivering the usual liberal-candidate-seeks-Black-votes hominy, lashed out at her words.—
Johanna Neuman,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Though his injuries were severe, the sailors watched in wonder as the cat determinedly licked his wounds, then got back to work destroying the rats threatening the ship’s food stores.—
Anne Ewbank,
Popular Science,
18 Feb. 2026
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Spit Heathcliff spends a lot of time straight-up licking Cathy’s face in this movie.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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It’s inspired by a French silk pie, but without any eggs to whip.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
12 Feb. 2026
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For season 1 of The Boss, InStyle Editor in Chief Sally Holmes taps Julia Fox (Uncut Gems, Him, The Moment) as the Temporary-Permanent Ambassador of Slayage in an effort to whip the InStyle team’s style into shape ahead of New York Fashion Week.—
InStyle Editors,
InStyle,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This means that bills get hearings, debates happen in public, and legislators are required to vote on issues instead of hiding behind process.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
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Maybe Mark Kelly and several other dissident members of Congress are hiding the sun in a big bag.—
Alexandra Petri,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The texture play looks cool and intentional, like an all-black outfit that layers leather with silk.—
Samantha Brash,
InStyle,
8 Feb. 2026
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All thoughtfully designed with custom touches— from minibars designed as leather campaign chests to leather writing tables accentuating the space.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But that gives us a different look and the versatility of being able to play the two of them together and pound the glass on both ends is a weapon for us.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
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That means sneakers, ideally a pair that’s durable enough to withstand pounding the pavements, will be essential to your roster of footwear.—
Natalie Hammond,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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During the Friday Redlands rally, there were a few tense minutes when a student in a MAGA hat was pelted by water bottles.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
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Levi Rolles, who attended multiple protests at ICE's facility in Broadview, Illinois, was pelted with projectiles.—
Natasha Korecki,
NBC news,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The assailants, some armed, also vandalized security cameras and a guard shack and slashed the tires of vehicles in the parking lot, authorities said.—
Kevin Krause,
Dallas Morning News,
18 Feb. 2026
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Also slashed was $4 million that had been awarded to California under the Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation (RECI) program, which supports new energy efficient building codes.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tan. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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