as in defeat
failure to win a contest
took a serious trouncing during the first game but came back to win the next two
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in whipping
to defeat by a large margin
our candidate trounced her opponent in the election, winning with 76% of the vote
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Recent Examples of trouncing
Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
Creative tension with old-school Republicans in the first term and then genuine fears about his own reelection following the trouncing the GOP got in 2018 produced a far more popular version of Trumpism than the current undiluted dose.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2025
Muller’s team has won seven of those encounters, including the 2014 World Cup Final and an 8-2 trouncing of Barcelona that was the club’s worst loss in more than half a century.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
LaFleur’s team is 1-0 in the division thanks to its season-opening trouncing of the Lions and is sixth in the NFC playoff picture.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
Isiah Pacheco also put together 57 yards and one touchdown in the Chiefs' trouncing of the Raiders.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
With the Chiefs appearing more vulnerable in a season coming off a Super Bowl trouncing, Buffalo—which opens its 2025 campaign Sunday night at home against another formidable foe, the Baltimore Ravens—is poised for a breakthrough.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Sterling Elliott, Chicago Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
The stock, which has jumped 16% year to date, is our third-best performer in these early days of 2026, trouncing the S & P 500′s gain of just 1% this year.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 25 Jan. 2026
In the last year, Walmart shares have risen 27%, double the S&P 500’s growth and trouncing Amazon’s 1% increase.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
Montrose has crushed its Front Range foes in the playoffs, beating Frederick 55-6 in the first round and trouncing Monarch 56-27 in the quarters.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 28 Nov. 2025
The doctrine died a surer death with the 1989 invasion of Panama to remove its rogue leader, Manuel Noriega, convicted of drug-running and guilty of trouncing his country’s democracy.
—Alan McPherson, The Conversation, 2 Nov. 2025
With the Dragons trouncing Byron Nelson and Trinity, the gap between them and the rest of the competition is incredibly wide.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2025
Though Roan is a total force on stage, polished and magnetic while trouncing around a set made to look like an illustrated fairytale castle, the show is not without her signature frankness.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 21 Sep. 2025
After an uninspiring 10-9 win over Kennesaw State, Wake Forest bounced back in a big way, trouncing Western Carolina 42-10.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
That blend of players yielded the team’s first playoff victory, a trouncing of the Minnesota Vikings in the wake of a turbulent week of wildfires in Los Angeles.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
Creative tension with old-school Republicans in the first term and then genuine fears about his own reelection following the trouncing the GOP got in 2018 produced a far more popular version of Trumpism than the current undiluted dose.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2025
Muller’s team has won seven of those encounters, including the 2014 World Cup Final and an 8-2 trouncing of Barcelona that was the club’s worst loss in more than half a century.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
LaFleur’s team is 1-0 in the division thanks to its season-opening trouncing of the Lions and is sixth in the NFC playoff picture.
—Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025
Isiah Pacheco also put together 57 yards and one touchdown in the Chiefs' trouncing of the Raiders.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
With the Chiefs appearing more vulnerable in a season coming off a Super Bowl trouncing, Buffalo—which opens its 2025 campaign Sunday night at home against another formidable foe, the Baltimore Ravens—is poised for a breakthrough.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
So what is the path forward if trouncing the supply lines won’t produce results?
—Sterling Elliott, Chicago Tribune, 1 Feb. 2026
The stock, which has jumped 16% year to date, is our third-best performer in these early days of 2026, trouncing the S & P 500′s gain of just 1% this year.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 25 Jan. 2026
In the last year, Walmart shares have risen 27%, double the S&P 500’s growth and trouncing Amazon’s 1% increase.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
Montrose has crushed its Front Range foes in the playoffs, beating Frederick 55-6 in the first round and trouncing Monarch 56-27 in the quarters.
—Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 28 Nov. 2025
The doctrine died a surer death with the 1989 invasion of Panama to remove its rogue leader, Manuel Noriega, convicted of drug-running and guilty of trouncing his country’s democracy.
—Alan McPherson, The Conversation, 2 Nov. 2025
With the Dragons trouncing Byron Nelson and Trinity, the gap between them and the rest of the competition is incredibly wide.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 2025
Though Roan is a total force on stage, polished and magnetic while trouncing around a set made to look like an illustrated fairytale castle, the show is not without her signature frankness.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 21 Sep. 2025
After an uninspiring 10-9 win over Kennesaw State, Wake Forest bounced back in a big way, trouncing Western Carolina 42-10.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trouncing
Noun
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Stafford also engineered late game-winning drives in playoff victories over the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears before the Rams suffered a 31-27 defeat by the Seahawks in the NFC championship.—
Gary Klein,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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Seattle bounced back from a defeat against the Ducks at Honda Center 24 hours earlier that snapped a four-game win streak.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Before Katherine LaNasa was whipping the ER into shape as Nurse Dana on The Pitt, the actress made a memorable impression on Seinfeld viewers.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Feb. 2026
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Legacy of Monsters, complete with a monster tail whipping across half the room.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Today, Cordell reflects on his beating stoically.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
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Outside spending and guidance, Amazon's reported fourth quarter results were solid, with revenue and operating income beating expectations.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Medical experts and public health leaders say overcoming hesitancy is key in preventing further spread in and around Charlotte, and preventing the rise of other infectious diseases.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Feb. 2026
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Raised in a rural village four hours from the Algerian capital, Khelif sold scrap copper as a young girl to fund her training, overcoming significant economic and societal hurdles.—
Kara Fox,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Well, at least there’s a Super Bowl ad that addresses the frustration many may be feeling, courtesy of the company that provides pills for hair loss, weight loss and libido loss.—
Omar L. Gallaga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Payton’s longtime assistant, Lombardi was fired a few days after the Broncos’ AFC Championship Game loss.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Immediately, Mavs fans were thrashing for his unemployment.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
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At one point he would be suspended by his boss for knocking down and thrashing a punkish street tough who jumped him in a minor riot of punters outside the legendary Clash stand at Manhattan’s ad hoc punk venue Bond’s.—
Fred Schruers,
Rolling Stone,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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And they are not remotely prepared when Harper’s firm puts its full weight behind burying them.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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Kabir joined in burying several of his close friends in Woro.—
Pelumi Salako,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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For Lucy, that meant realizing that her dad had lied about his true intentions and his role in bombing Shady Sands.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
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This is a program where UCLA assistant coach Rod Palmer once had teams competing against the best when alumnus Arron Affalo was bombing in threes and delivering dunks before going on to UCLA and the NBA.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trouncing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trouncing. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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