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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of licking
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
Predictably, Korda took a licking.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
The department shared photos of Ziggy, still wearing a bandage on his left hind leg, jumping up and licking Spring's face during a recent visit.
—Neal Riley, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for licking
Noun
The clacking of mouth-swab petrie dishes as they’re loaded into boxes for shipping, the line-by-line licking of complimentary doughnuts at the front desk.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
Predictably, Korda took a licking.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
Verb
Five caribou stood licking at the stain.
—Frank Glaser, Outdoor Life, 1 Apr. 2026
The department shared photos of Ziggy, still wearing a bandage on his left hind leg, jumping up and licking Spring's face during a recent visit.
—Neal Riley, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for licking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for licking
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
-
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
-
In large part because the only feeling more satisfying than defeating your enemies is that of defeating your friends.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
-
When the Lakers last came to Houston, defeating the Rockets twice in three days, Rockets coach Ime Udoka appeared to tell Redick to put Bronny James in the game.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
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
-
Hospital surveillance footage captured Talley pointing the gun at the room where the technician was hiding, Pekara said, before starting to make his way out of the building.—
Caroline Kubzansky,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
After a search of the area, police located both suspects, who police said are teenagers, hiding nearby and took both into custody.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Finally, in overcoming this vexing moment, the two would establish a painterly repartee that altered the trajectory of their own work and, by extension, modern art.—
Susan Tallman,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
But overcoming perceptions that lithium-ion battery technology is inherently dangerous has proven challenging, and developers sometimes fuel mistrust by dismissing residents’ concerns about fire, toxic threats and the industrialization of natural landscapes.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
23 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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Licking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licking. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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