as in beatings
failure to win a contest
suffered a whipping that took them out of competition
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Recent Examples of whippings
Reynolds cites the early-18th-century diary of William Byrd II, who read Homer in the morning and administered whippings to refractory slaves in the afternoon.
—
James Traub,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
There was physical violence as well — whippings, beatings, even bricks thrown.
—
Pamela Chelin,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Michael’s tendency to speak up earned him frequent whippings with his father’s belt.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
In September, a photo showing an enslaved man's scarred back from whippings was removed from a national monument in Georgia.
—
Aida Mogos,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
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
James Traub,
The Atlantic,
28 June 2026
There was physical violence as well — whippings, beatings, even bricks thrown.
—
Pamela Chelin,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
Michael’s tendency to speak up earned him frequent whippings with his father’s belt.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
In September, a photo showing an enslaved man's scarred back from whippings was removed from a national monument in Georgia.
—
Aida Mogos,
CBS News,
24 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whippings
Noun
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Withstanding territorial beatings from rival lions.
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According to prosecutors, who cited testimony and evidence at McCue's trial, the children allegedly suffered severe beatings and were forced to wear shock collars and stand naked on cinder blocks for hours or sometimes days at a time.
Noun
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Between 2012 and 2017, Nadal suffered seven shock defeats at Grand Slams before the quarterfinals.
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At one point in the 1980s, a local news article reported that the district attorney’s office had suffered nine trial defeats in a row.
Noun
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Monday’s game will be the Sparks’ first contest since consecutive blowout losses, 125-97 to Toronto on June 25 and 111-87 to Indiana on June 27.
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The Sox found a way to bounce back after back-to-back walk-off losses.
Noun
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The fair has already seen a series of setbacks that include cancellations from artists on the lineup, sparse crowds, electricity issues and even melted ice cream.
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But for many of the organization’s other pitching prospects in recent seasons, injury setbacks have been especially difficult to overcome.
Cite this Entry
“Whippings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whippings. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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