1
as in blows
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
gave the ball a solid lick with the bat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in splashes
a very small amount
the soup needs just a lick more of salt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in damns
the smallest amount or part imaginable
you haven't done a lick of work all day
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in pounds
to strike repeatedly
your father will lick you good if he hears you using swear words
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in masters
to achieve a victory over
he's determined to do everything he can to lick the cancer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of licks
Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025
From bouncy dancehall riddims and hip-hop production inflections to tender country and western guitar licks, Treasure Self Love distills Iké’s wide range of childhood music into a succinct 11-track study of achieving wholeness by unflinchingly examining the darkest parts of your past.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2025
TikTok @evelynmmartin The dog jumps onto the grassy area, shakes his head with his whole body moving in excitement, and jumps up to greet Martin, showering her with licks and nuzzles before spinning excitedly in a circle.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Hopefully that was worth it — because quarterback Tua Tagovailoa took his fair share of licks in the process.
—Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2025
Moná Thomas, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The pair is seen crawling through a wildflower field, dancing, and jumping, but also hollering at each other, brandishing knives, and at some point, Lawrence licks a window with zeal.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
Hart opted to rap his part, which delighted his ecstatic band-members, the reggae-rhythm providing a steady groove and allowing for Mayer and Anastasio to trade licks back-and-forth.
—Shirley Halperin, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025
Nashville's own Grace Bowers sat in with Molly Tuttle, Vince Gill and Peter Frampton trading licks from songs written long before the 18-year-old was born.
—Melonee Hurt, Nashville Tennessean, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
Kershaw was on the winning end more often than not, but that didn’t mean the Giants didn’t also get in their licks.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025
From bouncy dancehall riddims and hip-hop production inflections to tender country and western guitar licks, Treasure Self Love distills Iké’s wide range of childhood music into a succinct 11-track study of achieving wholeness by unflinchingly examining the darkest parts of your past.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2025
TikTok @evelynmmartin The dog jumps onto the grassy area, shakes his head with his whole body moving in excitement, and jumps up to greet Martin, showering her with licks and nuzzles before spinning excitedly in a circle.
—Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Hopefully that was worth it — because quarterback Tua Tagovailoa took his fair share of licks in the process.
—Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2025
Verb
When asked the question, the owl takes the lollipop and licks it three times before chomping down on its hard shell exterior and handing the stick back to the child.
—Moná Thomas, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025
The pair is seen crawling through a wildflower field, dancing, and jumping, but also hollering at each other, brandishing knives, and at some point, Lawrence licks a window with zeal.
—Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025
Hart opted to rap his part, which delighted his ecstatic band-members, the reggae-rhythm providing a steady groove and allowing for Mayer and Anastasio to trade licks back-and-forth.
—Shirley Halperin, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025
Nashville's own Grace Bowers sat in with Molly Tuttle, Vince Gill and Peter Frampton trading licks from songs written long before the 18-year-old was born.
—Melonee Hurt, Nashville Tennessean, 14 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for licks
Noun
-
The blows come from front, back, and the demonstrator doesn’t seem to hold back even.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Frazier, though, was relentless, seeking a way inside Ali’s reach, driving blows into Ali’s ribs but moving too fast to get caught by the night-ender Ali had planned.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The water-resistant outer material guards your essentials against splashes, while elastic straps and multiple pockets help keep your bottles upright.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Sep. 2025
-
And the American redstart — a jetblack little fellow with orange splashes — pretty much stopped breeding here in the early 2000s.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This storied sandwich is served each year at the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia; and many have long tried to replicate the recipe, which seemingly masters the perfect ratio of ingredients for classic egg salad.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
23 Aug. 2025
-
Focus is difficult and hardly anyone masters the skill.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Millennials are currently ruling the tech industry and clinging to their roles as the economy is rocked by uncertainty due to tariffs, inflation increases living expenses, and AI swipes jobs.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Deen also takes several swipes at her former detractors in the project, including fellow foodie and CNN travel documentarian Anthony Bourdain, who died by suicide in 2018.—
Gerrad Hall,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Plus by Vestre Set deep in the Norwegian forest, The Plus is one of the most environmentally innovative factories in the world, a furniture maker built in the shape of a massive plus sign, with meaningful sustainable design touches throughout.—
Ethan Karp,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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Now that the year 2000 is a quarter-century in the past, there are definitely some UI touches that feel downright archaic, though.—
Kyle Orland,
ArsTechnica,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
All the segments understand the assignment, aiming primarily to elicit hoots and hollers.—
James Grebey,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The town hall crowd received my comments with strong clapping and appreciative hoots and hollers.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Like any tubing mascara, Badi Lash wraps lashes in flexible, smudge-proof polymers that darken and lengthen them.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Then, there’s the one about the two Asian guys who are harnessed to a chariot and made to pull it along, like horses, with bits in their mouths, while this other Asian guy, holding the reins, lashes them with a whip.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Licks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licks. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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