THRASHES Synonyms: 222 Similar and Opposite Words

thrashes

verb

present tense third-person singular of thrash

as in buries

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 & Similar Words

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as in whips

to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible thrashed the poor horse with a riding crop

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in licks

to strike repeatedly the tree branches thrashed the sides of the house as the storm continued to rage

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in tosses

to make jerky or restless movements in obvious pain, the wounded soldier thrashed about his cot

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of thrashes The spotted fish thrashes angrily, disturbing the waters so that the pool’s edge laps against the rock. — Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026 The 16-year-old flails her arms, thrashes and kicks — sometimes for hours. — Calmatters, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025 Framed by her Pepto-pink hair — another Moisturizer-era change — Teasdale bodyrolls and thrashes around, singing so wildly that the edges of her mouth seem to disappear. — Sophie Williams, Billboard, 10 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for thrashes

Verb

Past a certain point, more preparation buries the message instead of sharpening it.

— Lynn Smith, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
The winter months pass, long nights, a bomb cyclone that buries my basement windows in snow and leaves me to lurk in the dark like a slumbering bear, and then spring arrives abrupt and clanging and golden.

— Brian Laidlaw, Longreads, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of buries

Verb

Bertha whips Bridget for inspiring uncomfortable feelings in her.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Instead of floating crosses in, Saka either whips his deliveries low near the six-yard box or works a slightly more central position to cut the ball back with a firmer connection.

— Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 26 June 2026

Definition of whips

Verb

That glib self-confidence is present in McNamara, who licks the doughnut glaze off his fingers before offering his hand to the female detective questioning the one living Jason.

— Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Later, a woman protractedly licks blue ice cream from a cone, her attempts thwarted by ferocious gusts of wind and sand.

— Matilda Hague, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of licks

Verb

Liev hangs back as his wife, Taylor, tosses a handful of worms inside to Grandma, Sizzurp, Fern, Pico, and Miu Miu—a clucking brood whose eggs are packed into custom cartons stamped Hazel’s Hens, named for the couple’s toddler daughter, Hazel Bee.

— Ingrid Abramovitch, Architectural Digest, 10 Sep. 2026
Philip Marlowe as Chandler’s private eye is a smooth talking, whiskey-drinking character who tosses suggestive suggestions and 38 revolvers around with equal aplomb.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026

Definition of tosses

Verb

Higher prices come as Ukraine pounds Russian refineries, forcing Moscow to ban diesel exports.

— Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
Part of the problem is that every summer, water pounds down on sidewalks in the Treasure Valley, drops rippling on glassy reflective surfaces, all because of sprinkler jets overshooting the grass and landing on pavement.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of pounds

Verb

The 420 Sport jostles and squirms on these surfaces at low speeds, but the payoff is unfiltered, no-nonsense feedback.

— Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 22 July 2026
When Brian and Murtagh report that Dougal offended the Grants and Colum had to promise Ellen’s hand to appease the situation, Lord Lovat squirms.

— Lincee Ray Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025