thrash

1 to defeat by a large margin the incumbent has been thrashing his opponents for so long that there's never any real contest for the Senate seat Synonyms annihilate, blow away, bomb, bury, clobber, cream, drub, dust, flatten, paste, rout, shellac, skin, skunk, smoke [slang], smother, snow under, whip, trim, tromp, trounce, wallop, wax [slang], whomp, whop (or whap), whupRelated Words sweep, upset; beat, best, conquer, dispatch, hurdle, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), subdue, surmount, take, throw, triumph (over), win (against), worst; crush, knock off, knock over, overpower, overthrow, overwhelm, subjugate, upend, vanquish; ace (out), better, eclipse, exceed, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend; edge (out), nose out, pip [British]; cap, excel, flourish, score, succeed; break, destroy, do in, finish, sink, slaughter

2 to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible thrashed the poor horse with a riding crop Synonyms birch, cowhide, flagellate, flail, flog, hide, horsewhip, lash, leather, rawhide, scourge, slash, switch, tan, whip, whaleRelated Words knout, quirt, strap; cut; flick, touch up; blackjack, cane, club, cudgel, fustigate; pistol-whip; bang, bop, box, bust, clap, clip, clobber, clout, crack, cuff, hit, knock, lam, paste, punch, slap, slug, smack, smite, sock, spank, swat, swipe, thwack, wallop, whack; bash, baste, bat, batter, beat, belabor, belt, bludgeon, buffet, bung, drub, fib [British], hammer, lace, lambaste (or lambast), lather, lick, mangle, maul, paddle, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, rough, slate, slog, thresh, thump, tromp, whop (or whap), whup, work over

3 to strike repeatedly the tree branches thrashed the sides of the house as the storm continued to rage Synonyms bash, baste, bat, batter, belabor, belt, birch, bludgeon, buffet, bung up, club, curry, do, drub, fib [British], flog, hammer, hide, lace, lambaste (or lambast), lash, lather, lick, maul, mess (up), paddle, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, punch out, rough (up), slate, slog, switch, tan, beat, thresh, thump, tromp, wallop, whale, whip, whop (or whap), whup, work overRelated Words assail, assault, attack, beset, box, bust, chop, clobber, clout, crack, cudgel, cuff, descend (on or upon), hit, jump (on), knock, lam, lay on, paste, pounce (on or upon), punch, raid, rush, slam, slap, smack, smash, sock, spank, storm, swat, swipe, thwack, whack, wham, whomp; blackjack, cane, cowhide, flagellate, fustigate, horsewhip, leather, pistol-whip, rawhide, scourge, strap; gore, lacerate, wound; maim, mangle, mutilate

4 to make jerky or restless movements in obvious pain, the wounded soldier thrashed about his cot Synonyms fiddle, jerk, jig, jiggle, squiggle, squirm, fidget, thresh, toss, twist, twitch, wiggle, wriggle, writheRelated Words flit, flutter, twitter; quake, quiver, shake, shiver, shudder, tremble; paceNear Antonyms relax, rest, unwind; calm (down), still