Thesaurus
present tense third-person singular of tan
Synonyms of tans
1
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 for tans
Words Related to tans
- bangs,
- bops,
- boxes,
- busts,
- claps,
- clips,
- clobbers,
- clouts,
- cracks,
- cuffs,
- hits,
- knocks,
- lams,
- pastes,
- punches,
- slaps,
- slugs,
- smacks,
- smites,
- socks,
- spanks,
- swats,
- swipes,
- thwacks,
- wallops,
- whacks
- bashes,
- bastes,
- bats,
- batters,
- beats,
- belabors,
- belts,
- bludgeons,
- buffets,
- bungs,
- drubs,
- fibs
- [British],
- hammers,
- laces,
- lambastes
- (or lambasts),
- lathers,
- licks,
- mangles,
- mauls,
- paddles,
- pelts,
- pommels,
- pounds,
- pummels,
- roughs,
- slates,
- slogs,
- threshes,
- thumps,
- tromps,
- whops
- (or whaps),
- whups,
- works over
2
to strike repeatedly
- a time when children were routinely tanned for misbehavior
Synonyms for tans
- bashes,
- bastes,
- bats,
- batters,
- beats,
- belabors,
- belts,
- birches,
- bludgeons,
- buffets,
- bungs up,
- clubs,
- curries,
- does,
- drubs,
- fibs
- [British],
- flogs,
- hammers,
- hides,
- laces,
- lambastes
- (or lambasts),
- lashes,
- lathers,
- licks,
- mauls,
- messes (up),
- paddles,
- pelts,
- pommels,
- pounds,
- pummels,
- punches out,
- roughs (up),
- slates,
- slogs,
- switches,
- thrashes,
- threshes,
- thumps,
- tromps,
- wallops,
- whales,
- whips,
- whops
- (or whaps),
- whups,
- works over
Words Related to tans
- assails,
- assaults,
- attacks,
- besets,
- boxes,
- busts,
- chops,
- clobbers,
- clouts,
- cracks,
- cudgels,
- cuffs,
- descends (on or upon),
- hits,
- jumps (on),
- knocks,
- lams,
- lays on,
- pastes,
- pounces (on or upon),
- punches,
- raids,
- rushes,
- slams,
- slaps,
- smacks,
- smashes,
- socks,
- spanks,
- storms,
- swats,
- swipes,
- thwacks,
- whacks,
- whams,
- whomps
Phrases Synonymous with tans
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on tans
What made you want to look up tans? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Namesakes Word Quiz
- Which of the following is a fruit named after a Moroccan seaport?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
- Namesakes Word Quiz
When names become words and then we ask you about...
Take the quiz - Farm Idioms Quiz
Not your children's farm quiz.
Take the quiz - Spell It
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
Take the quiz - Dictionary Devil
The dictionary has been scrambled—can you put i...
Play the game
Share tans