as in defeat
failure to win a contest
took a serious trouncing during the first game but came back to win the next two
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in whipping
to defeat by a large margin
our candidate trounced her opponent in the election, winning with 76% of the vote
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of trouncing
Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Last year’s trophy was won by Paris Saint Germain following its 5-0 trouncing of Inter Milan.
—Thomas Smith, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2026
Kings organist Dieter Ruehle was feeling a bit cheeky during Thursday’s 8-1 trouncing by the Edmonton Oilers.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026
That blend of players yielded the team’s first playoff victory, a trouncing of the Minnesota Vikings in the wake of a turbulent week of wildfires in Los Angeles.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
Creative tension with old-school Republicans in the first term and then genuine fears about his own reelection following the trouncing the GOP got in 2018 produced a far more popular version of Trumpism than the current undiluted dose.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2025
Muller’s team has won seven of those encounters, including the 2014 World Cup Final and an 8-2 trouncing of Barcelona that was the club’s worst loss in more than half a century.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
Isiah Pacheco also put together 57 yards and one touchdown in the Chiefs' trouncing of the Raiders.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
With the Chiefs appearing more vulnerable in a season coming off a Super Bowl trouncing, Buffalo—which opens its 2025 campaign Sunday night at home against another formidable foe, the Baltimore Ravens—is poised for a breakthrough.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026
Aledo stacks another win Aledo won its 11th consecutive game Friday, trouncing Saginaw 15-0 in shutout fashion.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2026
The endorsements came after first quarter fundraising numbers show Goldman trouncing challenger Brad Lander in cash on hand, raking in more than twice as much money.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
Carlsbad continued to play like an Open Division quality team on Wednesday night, trouncing host La Jolla Country Day 16-3 to improve to 6-3 on the young season.
—Clark Fahrenthold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2026
That advice ended up coinciding with a 44% surge in clean energy stocks in 2025, trouncing the 16% gain in the S&P 500 Index.
—Alastair Marsh, Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2026
Boise went into halftime trouncing the hosts in second-chance points (13-2) and on the boards (21-11).
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2026
With his team trouncing the Philadelphia 76ers and Alvarado already on fire from 3-point range, the New York Knicks’ newest guard turned to his greatest hits.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
The Seahawks were the top seed in the NFC, going 14-3 in the competitive NFC West before trouncing the division rival San Francisco 49ers and edging out the division rival Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs.
—Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone, 8 Feb. 2026
Noun
Moments before the ball was tipped ahead of the Phoenix Suns’ Game 1 trouncing, Dillon Brooks ran his fingers over the grooves of the game ball the way starters tend to.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026
Last year’s trophy was won by Paris Saint Germain following its 5-0 trouncing of Inter Milan.
—Thomas Smith, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2026
Kings organist Dieter Ruehle was feeling a bit cheeky during Thursday’s 8-1 trouncing by the Edmonton Oilers.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026
That blend of players yielded the team’s first playoff victory, a trouncing of the Minnesota Vikings in the wake of a turbulent week of wildfires in Los Angeles.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 9 Jan. 2026
Creative tension with old-school Republicans in the first term and then genuine fears about his own reelection following the trouncing the GOP got in 2018 produced a far more popular version of Trumpism than the current undiluted dose.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2025
Muller’s team has won seven of those encounters, including the 2014 World Cup Final and an 8-2 trouncing of Barcelona that was the club’s worst loss in more than half a century.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
Isiah Pacheco also put together 57 yards and one touchdown in the Chiefs' trouncing of the Raiders.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
With the Chiefs appearing more vulnerable in a season coming off a Super Bowl trouncing, Buffalo—which opens its 2025 campaign Sunday night at home against another formidable foe, the Baltimore Ravens—is poised for a breakthrough.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
In that stretch, the stock has climbed about 63%, ahead of the S & P 500's roughly 34% advance and trouncing the health-care sector's almost 8% gain.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2026
Aledo stacks another win Aledo won its 11th consecutive game Friday, trouncing Saginaw 15-0 in shutout fashion.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2026
The endorsements came after first quarter fundraising numbers show Goldman trouncing challenger Brad Lander in cash on hand, raking in more than twice as much money.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
Carlsbad continued to play like an Open Division quality team on Wednesday night, trouncing host La Jolla Country Day 16-3 to improve to 6-3 on the young season.
—Clark Fahrenthold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2026
That advice ended up coinciding with a 44% surge in clean energy stocks in 2025, trouncing the 16% gain in the S&P 500 Index.
—Alastair Marsh, Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2026
Boise went into halftime trouncing the hosts in second-chance points (13-2) and on the boards (21-11).
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2026
With his team trouncing the Philadelphia 76ers and Alvarado already on fire from 3-point range, the New York Knicks’ newest guard turned to his greatest hits.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
The Seahawks were the top seed in the NFC, going 14-3 in the competitive NFC West before trouncing the division rival San Francisco 49ers and edging out the division rival Los Angeles Rams in the playoffs.
—Ryan Bort, Rolling Stone, 8 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trouncing
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
After thrashing the doomed Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0 on the opening weekend, City were played off the pitch by Thomas Frank’s Tottenham Hotspur and then had no answer to Brighton & Hove Albion’s second-half push.—
Sam Lee,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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The team’s season began March 28, with the Glory thrashing the Seattle Majestics 41-2 in front of 794 fans at the Pembroke Hill School, breaking a team-attendance record.—
PJ Green
April 16,
Kansas City Star,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Carlsson concluded an odd-man rush by burying a beautiful backhand.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The mower was burying itself under shrubs and smashing into 6-inch-tall+ (15-cm+) stone walls.—
Joe Salas
April 25,
New Atlas,
25 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
Cite this Entry
“Trouncing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trouncing. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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