wax

1 to coat (something) with a slippery substance in order to reduce friction waxing a surfboard Synonyms grease, oil, slick, waxRelated Words bathe, douse (also dowse), drench, soak, souse, wash, water, wetNear Antonyms coarsen, rough, roughen; dehydrate, dry, parch, sear

2 slang  to defeat by a large margin I can't believe I bet on a football team that ended up getting waxed 45–0 Synonyms annihilate, blow away, bomb, bury, clobber, cream, drub, dust, flatten, paste, rout, shellac, skin, skunk, smoke [slang], smother, snow under, thrash, 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

1 to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number the commitment of the young volunteers to the cause seems to wax and wane Synonyms accelerate, accumulate, appreciate, balloon, boom, build up, burgeon (also bourgeon), climb, enlarge, escalate, expand, gain, mount, multiply, mushroom, proliferate, rise, roll up, snowball, spread, swell, waxRelated Words jump, rocket, skyrocket, surge; heighten, intensify, redouble; blow up, bulk, distend, inflate, puff (up); crescendo, crest, peakAntonyms contract, decrease, diminish, dwindle, lessen, recede, wane

2 to eventually have as a state or quality waxed poetic whenever he wrote to his girlfriend Synonyms come, get, go, grow, run, turn, waxRelated Words alter, change, metamorphose, modify, mutate, transfigure, transform, transmuteNear Antonyms abide, be, continue, linger, remain, stay