as in defeat
failure to win a contest
took a terrible drubbing in last night's basketball game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pounding
to strike repeatedly
a crowd was drubbing the purse snatcher when the police arrived on the scene
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in whipping
to defeat by a large margin
we drubbed our traditional football rivals so badly that it was basically no contest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of drubbing
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
Maresca’s final month in charge began with a 3-1 drubbing at Elland Road.
—Cerys Jones, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
The losing streak reached eight games Wednesday night, punctuated by an 8-2 drubbing at Dodger Stadium that got out of hand in the eighth inning.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
After the Jaden Ivey debacle and a series of drubbings, Michael Reinsdorf finally pulled the trigger yesterday and fired executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas and his stealthy sidekick, general manager Marc Eversley.
—Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
In actuality, a soccer drubbing broke out.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
After suffering the largest loss in franchise history Sunday at Toronto (a 52-point drubbing), Magic coach Jamahl Mosley wanted his team to throw the first punch Tuesday night against the Suns at Kia Center.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
Arizona is the early favorite to take the title next Monday night in Indianapolis, listed at 19-10 odds by BetMGM Sportsbook, followed closely by the Wolverines — coming off a 95-62 drubbing of Tennessee on Sunday — at 2-1.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
This time, there was no second-half comeback, as the Current fell to a second straight loss, a 3-0 drubbing.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
Hours after the club wrapped up a 17-1 drubbing of the Baltimore Orioles, news broke that the organization was cleaning house.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026
Maresca’s final month in charge began with a 3-1 drubbing at Elland Road.
—Cerys Jones, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
The losing streak reached eight games Wednesday night, punctuated by an 8-2 drubbing at Dodger Stadium that got out of hand in the eighth inning.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
After the Jaden Ivey debacle and a series of drubbings, Michael Reinsdorf finally pulled the trigger yesterday and fired executive vice president of basketball operations Artūras Karnišovas and his stealthy sidekick, general manager Marc Eversley.
—Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2026
In actuality, a soccer drubbing broke out.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
After suffering the largest loss in franchise history Sunday at Toronto (a 52-point drubbing), Magic coach Jamahl Mosley wanted his team to throw the first punch Tuesday night against the Suns at Kia Center.
—Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2026
Arizona is the early favorite to take the title next Monday night in Indianapolis, listed at 19-10 odds by BetMGM Sportsbook, followed closely by the Wolverines — coming off a 95-62 drubbing of Tennessee on Sunday — at 2-1.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
This time, there was no second-half comeback, as the Current fell to a second straight loss, a 3-0 drubbing.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
The mighty Mariners, who mashed five solo home runs at raucous T-Mobile Park, clinched their title by drubbing Major League Baseball’s doormat, aka the Colorado Rockies, 9-2.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drubbing
Noun
-
The margin for error is so little in the South Coast League that a hit here, an error there, can be the difference between victory and defeat.—
Martin Henderson,
Oc Register,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Scratch him behind the ears and say Good boy over and over so the horse might tire of hearing it, but Pal never would, crunching his peppermint in sweet victory—even defeat.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
From tracking down a missing student in the wilderness of British Columbia to extracting a murder confession from a surfer in Tofino, Shade and Angie prove life on the West Coast is packed with heart-pounding thrills.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
-
But Ragans shook off the damage and kept pounding the strike zone.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
If the frosting seems soft and dense, give it a chill before whipping again.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Later that evening, three rounds of hail inundated the house, followed by two bouts of whipping winds.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In corresponding moves, left-hander Charlie Barnes and right-hander Yacksel Ríos were called up from Triple-A Iowa and right-hander Vince Velasquez, who threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings in Saturday’s loss, was designated for assignment to open a 40-man spot for Ríos.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Saturday’s defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur was markedly less depressing than the losses in the previous two games.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Maximilien, a French national, allegedly uploaded a clip of himself licking a straw from an iJooz vending machine before putting it back in the dispenser.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
-
There’s Cassie licking a melting ice cream cone as the ice cream drips down her bare chest.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Now, the president’s not only banning Iran but also bombing it, to the tune of a $25-billion war.—
Lorraine Ali,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Israeli military personnel that the terms of the ceasefire with Lebanon allow Israel to continue bombing throughout the country.—
Mustafa Qadri,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Llamas praised the performance of his peers who have seen the image of their profession take a beating in recent years.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Morales is seen in surveillance video clutching at Pulido’s sweater a couple of times with Pulido brushing his hand away before Morales returns and the beating and kicking commences.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Not long after, the White House began lashing out at Democrats and the media over the shooting.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
On his last day before he’s scheduled to ride off on his motorcycle for a three-month sabbatical that’s only barely disguising his suicidal ideation, Robby spends his final shift lashing out at his co-workers.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Drubbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drubbing. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
