as in hammering
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1
as in whipping
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
2
as in hiding
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
thrashed the poor horse with a riding crop
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in pounding
to strike repeatedly
the tree branches thrashed the sides of the house as the storm continued to rage
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in tossing
to make jerky or restless movements
in obvious pain, the wounded soldier thrashed about his cot
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thrashing
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 19 Jan. 2026
The 61-point win was UT's most-lopsided victory in a Big 12 or SEC game, besting a 90-39 thrashing of Texas Tech in 2018.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 9 Jan. 2026
Colin Millar, New York Times, 3 May 2026
Water safety Drowning isn't loud and dramatic with a lot of yelling and thrashing.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for thrashing
Noun
And, the 56-22 CFP semifinal Peach Bowl thrashing of Oregon began with Ponds’ interception return for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 19 Jan. 2026
The 61-point win was UT's most-lopsided victory in a Big 12 or SEC game, besting a 90-39 thrashing of Texas Tech in 2018.
—Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
Diego Simeone’s team also beat them in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, including a 4-0 thrashing in the first leg.
—Colin Millar, New York Times, 3 May 2026
Water safety Drowning isn't loud and dramatic with a lot of yelling and thrashing.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for thrashing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thrashing
Noun
-
During a walk-through for reporters on Thursday, construction noises — particularly sanding and hammering — could be heard.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
-
That day in 2022, Pencov heard a hammering at the front door.—
Heidi Blake,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Vargas is accused of repeatedly whipping the cab’s hood with a belt, denting it, cops said.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2026
-
But listening to Magazine—their new 10-track, 11-minute album—that artful density becomes singular, swaying as much as whipping between its frantic ideas.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
There was no use in hiding from the mission’s ultimate goal.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
People who were explored through an untraditional lens, or people living on the margins … who are repressing, hiding.—
Abbey White,
HollywoodReporter,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Joseph, Nomkhitha and the children stood silently around the dining-room table, trying to calm their pounding hearts; the littlest ones shivered from the cold and fear.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
-
Eight miles down the road, Ragsdale’s friend and Alva’s former ESL teacher Lisa Weinstein woke up to pounding at her door.—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
The Cubs’ Javier Assad, by contrast, shut down the Giants’ offense for a second straight outing, tossing six scoreless innings with five strikeouts to one walk.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
-
As the place’s name implies, soccer is televised, but can be overshadowed by horseracing events that leave locals tossing their betting forms in frustration.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Whether the bashing has any immediate political implications for the lawmakers remains to be seen.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
-
But more recently, Japan-bashing has become the core of a strident Chinese nationalism, with disastrous consequences.—
Andy Browne,
semafor.com,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Yet following closely behind is Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth), Wardex’s nervy CEO, who’s intent on burying the facts out of fear that humanity can’t handle this mind-expanding knowledge.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
-
Keep the language concrete and avoid burying the point under explanation.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 June 2026
Verb
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On his left, slashing toward the box, was Messi and Martinez found him beautifully.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
-
Under the hood, the AMD Ryzen 7 processor is more than capable of handling everyday business tasks with ease, slashing through spreadsheets and punching up presentations with Windows 11 Copilot power.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thrashing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thrashing. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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