1
as in bombs
to defeat by a large margin
in the summer box office sweepstakes, most of the Hollywood blockbusters got whupped by a small indie movie with no stars
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in licks
to strike repeatedly
a boxer whupping a badly outmatched opponent
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whups
Verb
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Page Six gets a Hollywood edition Papps declined last week to reveal what stories his reporters were chasing and what bombs the political columnists will throw in its first editions.—
Christopher Weber,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026 -
If Venezuela and its region instead spiral into chaos and suffering, Trump will merely look like a bully, a president who cowers when facing the mighty — in Moscow or Beijing, say — but bombs those who can’t return fire, whether in Nigeria, Yemen or Venezuela.—
Andreas Kluth,
Boston Herald,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Then, Mitski licks up the blood on the girl’s finger.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
16 Jan. 2026
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After the drill, Ruin rolls onto his back, then licks a reporter's nose.—
Megan Sauer
Tasia Jensen,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When a dog repeatedly wags and whips its tail against hard surfaces, the tip can split open, bruise or break.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Benbrook whips Diamond Hill-Jarvis Benbrook stayed on pace for a playoff berth in District 8-4A as the Lady Bobcats thumped Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis 55-7.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In the present, Simon (now played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) pounds his car’s steering wheel, driving away from wreckage.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
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The claw then releases the broken bikes and pounds them down once more for good measure.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Many shoppers assume the shine hides spoilage or adds chemicals.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
21 Feb. 2026
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There’s Manny, Zitzs and EZ, who has a way with the girls; Izzy, an abused boy who hides his family’s secrets, and Gloria, as good at sports as the boys and so fierce nobody teases her little sister about her stutter.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Despite such doubts, Malaysia is positioning itself as Southeast Asia's hub for the alternative technology, a three-step process that captures, transports and buries carbon dioxide which contributes to climate change.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Feb. 2026
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But Tan’s comment buries the lede.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Boston Blue slaps a fresh coat of paint on Blue Bloods, the CBS procedural that ended its 14-season run last year.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Dec. 2025
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Speaking with Cocoa Butter about her most memorable roles, Calloway revealed that the moment Ike slaps Jackie came across so emotional and raw because the stunt went wrong.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
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LithSonic overcomes this challenge by using supersonic flow, similar to the conditions inside a rocket engine, to achieve ultra-rapid cooling through a process known as shock quenching.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Feb. 2026
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After a sluggish start, Texas overcomes a 14-point deficit to tie the game before OU's Xzayvier Brown hits a 3-pointer to give his team the halftime lead.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Whups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whups. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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