thrashing

noun

thrash·​ing ˈthra-shiŋ How to pronounce thrashing (audio)
plural thrashings
1
: a severe beating or flogging
If a poacher was taken he was given a thrashing as well as being prosecuted with its consequent jail sentence.W. Mostyn Thomas
"They called her a little blue ragamuffin, father," said Harry, who ran in looking very angry. "But I have given it to them. They won't insult my sister again. I have given them a thrashing they will remember."Anna Sewell
2
: a dominating defeat of an opponent
… after going 6-5 on a tough road trip that concluded with 9-2 and 12-4 thrashings of the Giants last weekend, they were 57-41 …Phil Taylor

Examples of thrashing in a Sentence

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Some of their performances since the turn of the year, notably in the 5-0 thrashing of Inter in the Champions League final at the end of May and the 4-0 defeat of Real Madrid in the Club World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday, have been irresistible. Oliver Kay, New York Times, 12 July 2025 All of those issues were on display Sunday in an 8-1 thrashing at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena, matching the Sharks’ most lopsided loss of the season. Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2025 But even the biggest Iga Świątek fan would never have predicted the 6-0, 6-0 thrashing that played out on Centre Court on Saturday. Ben Church, CNN Money, 12 July 2025 Their most lopsided win (a 12-5 thrashing of the A’s on April 6) was followed two days later by a 17-2 blowout loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, which was dwarfed a month later by a 21-0 humiliation at the hands of the San Diego Padres. Chad Jennings, New York Times, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for thrashing

Word History

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thrashing was in 1799

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Cite this Entry

“Thrashing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thrashing. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.

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