1
as in to bury
to defeat by a large margin
the incumbent has been thrashing his opponents for so long that there's never any real contest for the Senate seat
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2
as in to whip
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
thrashed the poor horse with a riding crop
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3
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
the tree branches thrashed the sides of the house as the storm continued to rage
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4
as in to toss
to make jerky or restless movements
in obvious pain, the wounded soldier thrashed about his cot
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of thrash
The worms thrash and move erratically with a snake-like motion that disturbs the topsoil.
—
Maria Braganini, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
The video showed that during the second time, the dog latched onto Evans’ left forearm and violently thrashed as Evans cried out in pain.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
The Broncos thrashed the Carolina Panthers, turning regular season MVP Cam Newton into a Fig Newton.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
Ann gets her one big scene a week when Monty comes in complaining that he was frog-marched out of his club because of the gold-mine disaster, and Dizzy Carswell threatened to thrash him.
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thrash
Maria Braganini, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
The video showed that during the second time, the dog latched onto Evans’ left forearm and violently thrashed as Evans cried out in pain.
—Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
The Broncos thrashed the Carolina Panthers, turning regular season MVP Cam Newton into a Fig Newton.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
Ann gets her one big scene a week when Monty comes in complaining that he was frog-marched out of his club because of the gold-mine disaster, and Dizzy Carswell threatened to thrash him.
—Alice Burton, Vulture, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for thrash
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thrash
Verb
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The text card at the close of the episode notes that between 1980 and 1988, more than 200,000 Iranians were killed during the war, while over 15,000 Iranian political prisoners were executed and buried in mass graves.—
Alissa Simon,
Variety,
16 May 2026
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Actor Billy Gardell, a Pittsburgh native, walks a new security guard through it all with the schedule buried at the end.—
Teresa M. Walker,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
Verb
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There’s also a menu of small snacks, with mezzes like hummus, tzatziki, whipped feta, falafel, halloumi, artichoke and eggplant.—
Connie Ogle
May 15,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
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The one-time Ducks first-round draft pick whipped a shot through traffic from just above the slot.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
15 May 2026
Verb
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The parallels between Ines’ dilemma and that of a nation being asked to lick its wounds in silence — in the name of moving on from past miseries — are present but elusive.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
14 May 2026
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At one point A’zion licks the digitally de-aged Mick Jagger’s face.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Verb
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The victim described, matter-of-factly, how her trafficker had cut up jalapeños and tossed them into a toilet before banging her head against the inside of the bowl and dunking it into the water.—
Yudhijit Bhattacharjee,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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And while tossing and turning is common, some disturbances are more unsettling.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
17 May 2026
Verb
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Ephemera is so often illustrative of the inner life of a character, a direct, beating correlative of the contents of their hearts.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
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The race in San Diego County has unnerved other Democrats, who saw Issa as easier to beat than a fresh GOP candidate — but aren’t always sure what to think about Campar-Najjar.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
19 May 2026
Verb
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That day, Riley had been editing a sequence in which Corvette sneaks into a San Francisco condo owned by Christie, her fashion idol, by hiding inside a coffee delivery cart.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
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Bugs also tend to hide inside packaging, seams, or even the food itself.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
15 May 2026
Verb
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When the war began, a cornered Iran lashed out by attacking its neighbors in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a 45-year-old coalition of energy-rich Arab monarchies including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
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Harris also shows us the burn scars that ripple up Racine’s arm and across Anaia’s face, textured skin that makes strangers blanch, to which Racine lashes out defensively.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
Verb
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My jaw twitched uncontrollably.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
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Here, American fighter planes, cargo ships and Japanese freighters have spent decades transforming into thriving artificial reefs, draped in coral and surrounded by twitching clouds of tropical fish.—
Dea Jusufi,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Thrash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thrash. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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