as in beating
failure to win a contest
suffered a whipping that took them out of competition
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in hiding
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
whipped the animal when it did not move fast enough to please him
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in throwing
to defeat by a large margin
we whipped them 13-0 in the last game
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in swinging
to change the course or direction of (something)
any more complaints and I'm whipping this car around and heading back home
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in flapping
to move or cause to move with a striking motion
her hair whipped in the wind
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in licking
to strike repeatedly
huge raindrops whipped the windows
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 whipping
Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026
Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images Amadou Onana’s usual whipping up of the crowd comes after every Aston Villa win.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Talia Abbas, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2026
Another blow is expected Friday and Saturday, again starting in the northern part of the state before whipping the Los Angeles area.
—Anthony Edwards, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whipping
Noun
The earliest depictions of slavery were already crawling with the terrible proceedings the Gothic tends to depict, from bloody whippings to family curses to the wrathful wraiths of the slain enslaved.
—Literary Hub, 20 Feb. 2026
Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images Amadou Onana’s usual whipping up of the crowd comes after every Aston Villa win.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Verb
The high waist bunched a little when seated, but it was hardly cause for breaking focus when attempting an inversion (the whipping wind, however, was another story).
—Talia Abbas, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2026
Another blow is expected Friday and Saturday, again starting in the northern part of the state before whipping the Los Angeles area.
—Anthony Edwards, San Francisco Chronicle, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for whipping
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whipping
Noun
-
During pregame warmups David Beckham and the Mas brothers walked toward the end-zone where all the most rabid fans do the flag-waving and drum-beating and raised their hands to applaud the cheering fans.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The Dodgers scored five times in the first two innings – four on two doubles by Freddie Freeman – and went on to hand the Washington Nationals another beating, 10-5, on Saturday at Nationals Park.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Under her tenure, the Department has lost centuries of professional experience, willfully violated federal law and judicial orders alike, while at the same time, hiding millions of documents linked to the Epstein files in a massive cover-up.—
Dan Mangan,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Grass lines in 8 to 15 feet of water make a perfect location for ambushing their prey and hiding from other predatory fish like muskies.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Even though six of those past teams failed to win it all, fans are throwing the history books out the window after witnessing the Bear Down beatdown Saturday night.—
Jack Springgate,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
-
After throwing 13 1/3 scoreless innings in his first two starts, New York’s Max Fried allowed three runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Yes, literally like a bird flapping its wings.—
Alex Kirshner,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Large, thoughtful pockets stay accessible without flapping, and adjusters at the waist and cuffs help keep comfortability, even at mid-hike.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The department shared photos of Ziggy, still wearing a bandage on his left hind leg, jumping up and licking Spring's face during a recent visit.—
Neal Riley,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Seals off The San Diego Seals (6-8) are off this weekend and licking their wounds following a crushing 9-8 home loss to Buffalo on Saturday.—
Ivan Carter,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Jaquez had the best performance off the Heat’s bench, finishing the defeat with 17 points, 10 rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
-
There is no defeat quite like sitting down for a gaming session after a 10-hour workday, hoping to get your woes out by winning some battles, but your ancient monitor decides to act up.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Attributing the budget-slashing move to an overall decrease in enrollment caused by fluctuating demographics, restrictions on international students and skyrocketing tuition costs, the New School is becoming part of a trend across higher education.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Warsh has committed to slashing the Fed's balance sheet.—
Steve Liesman,Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
These are Chinese, of course, and are made by coating duck eggs in a paste of salt, wood ash, lime, and black tea and burying them among rice husks in huge ceramic jars for 100 days.—
Jeffrey Steingarten,
Vogue,
5 Apr. 2026
-
For the tribe, its main objective is to repatriate the remains of their ancestors — a process that often involves gathering the remains and artifacts and burying them together in a spot on the site that cannot be disturbed.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whipping.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whipping. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
