as in beating
failure to win a contest
our team took a licking last night, but we'll get them next time
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pounding
to strike repeatedly
your father will lick you good if he hears you using swear words
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in defeating
to achieve a victory over
he's determined to do everything he can to lick the cancer
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of licking
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
The licking happens late in the first of five episodes, created by Molly Smith Metzler, based on her play Elemeno Pea.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2025
Kasey Caminiti, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
Excluding the pandemic, that’s the slowest average monthly gain for that January to August time frame since 2010, when the United States was still licking its wounds from the Great Recession.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for licking
Noun
Finally, be sure to visit your veterinarian to rule out any physical causes if your dog shows signs of lethargy, spending more time in bed, persistent licking or an unwillingness to walk and play.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025
The licking happens late in the first of five episodes, created by Molly Smith Metzler, based on her play Elemeno Pea.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2025
Verb
Common symptoms include excessive scratching, licking, ear infections, and digestive issues.
—Kasey Caminiti, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
Excluding the pandemic, that’s the slowest average monthly gain for that January to August time frame since 2010, when the United States was still licking its wounds from the Great Recession.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for licking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for licking
Noun
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Genser argued that those injuries did not contribute to her death and that there was no evidence of a beating taking place in the condo.—
City News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Detainees have alleged torture and beatings inside CECOT since their release.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Israeli forces control Gaza City’s eastern suburbs and in recent days have been pounding the Sheikh Radwan and Tel Al-Hawa areas, from where they would be positioned to advance on central and western areas where most of the population is sheltering.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
19 Sep. 2025
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Moments later, blue strobes flashed, warped guitar rang out and pounding drums clanged.—
Audrey Gibbs,
Nashville Tennessean,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Chargers got off to a hot start to the season in year two under Jim Harbaugh by defeating the Chiefs 27-21 in the NFL season opener.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
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Jovic lifted the trophy by defeating Colombia’s Emiliana Arango 6-4, 6-1 in Sunday’s final of the WTA 500 tournament in Zapopan, Mexico.—
Manasi Pathak,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Despite the defeats, his investment in Cracker Barrel has been extraordinarily profitable.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
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However, for Ukah, defeat was never failure.—
Sindiswa Mabunda,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Keep scrolling to check out more of the best super discounts hiding in Amazon’s outlet before the weekend ends.—
Melody Kazel,
PEOPLE,
19 Sep. 2025
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The beetle starts to emerge from hiding in the fall and is likely to find its way into homes and buildings during the winter.—
Jordan Green,
Nashville Tennessean,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The movie adaptation is also rife with metaphors about boys becoming men and overcoming life-or-death circumstances to make it out the other side.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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But in reality, deepfakes are getting better and the threat industry has many years of experience in honing lures to trick people, playing on emotions and overcoming natural suspicions and objections.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The expansion team has lost each of its last five games against the Lynx, and most recently suffered one of their worst losses of the season in Game 1 on Sunday in a 29-point defeat.—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
17 Sep. 2025
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The biggest losses were reported in the District of Columbia ($34,400), Florida ($32,100), and Montana ($26,900).—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Then, with seemingly no provocation, the man can be seen standing up and whipping out a knife in his right hand.—
David K. Li,
NBC news,
17 Sep. 2025
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Greens are guarded with some diabolical sand traps, and the usually whipping wind forces you to plot every shot.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Licking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licking. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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