1
as in hides
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 licks
to strike repeatedly
a time when children were routinely tanned for misbehavior
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tans
Verb
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This wasn’t the reassuring notion that transcendence hides within the everyday.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2026 -
The government hides almost everything.—
Majirata Latela,
The Dial,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Then, Mitski licks up the blood on the girl’s finger.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
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After the drill, Ruin rolls onto his back, then licks a reporter's nose.—
Megan Sauer
Tasia Jensen,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When a dog repeatedly wags and whips its tail against hard surfaces, the tip can split open, bruise or break.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Benbrook whips Diamond Hill-Jarvis Benbrook stayed on pace for a playoff berth in District 8-4A as the Lady Bobcats thumped Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis 55-7.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The claw then releases the broken bikes and pounds them down once more for good measure.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
14 Jan. 2026
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Burrell pounds his way down to the four-yard line.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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According to Augustinus Bader, apply to brows and lashes morning and night.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
9 Jan. 2026
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After her mani-pedi was complete, and the beautician had given her a coffee per usual, the pair were going to move on to brows and lashes when the woman asked to use the bathroom.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
28 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Orchestrated by a central process orchestration layer such as zenon, this approach accelerates scale-up from lab to full production, slashes changeover time, reduces waste, and breaks vendor lock‑in while protecting existing assets and enabling continuous improvement.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Jan. 2026
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The system slashes both capital expenditure and long-term maintenance costs.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Think Judd Apatow flicks with Steve Carell and Seth Rogen, or sitcoms starring Charlie Sheen.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
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Like a true professional, the actor quickly flicks the photo and extinguishes the blaze without ever breaking character — despite internally freaking out — to nail the perfect shot.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Is a taboo crossed when someone attacks?—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune, inflammatory form of arthritis, meaning a person’s immune system attacks their joints, causing substantial inflammation.—
Kevin Deane,
The Conversation,
23 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Tans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tans. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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