as in defeat
failure to win a contest
took a terrible drubbing in last night's basketball game
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drubbing
Noun
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Sunday’s defeat capped a roller-coaster first half in which the Yankees jumped out to a 42-25 record, only to follow with a 6-16 skid that included two separate six-game losing streaks.—
Peter Sblendorio,
Hartford Courant,
13 July 2025 -
Skipping the Kansas origin story, the film instead picks up with Superman (David Corenswet) after his first defeat.—
Jake Coyle,
Chicago Tribune,
13 July 2025
Verb
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But the unhappy ending is especially head-pounding for Saxon Ratliff (Patrick Schwarzenegger).—
Bryan Alexander,
USA TODAY,
24 Mar. 2025
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Queen finished with a team-best 17 points, but Maryland frequently settled for outside jumpers instead of pounding the ball inside to Queen and Julian Reese.—
Lindsay Schnell,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Elle was also seen whipping her hands in a circle to the music during the awards ceremony.—
Stephanie Wenger,
People.com,
6 Jan. 2025
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This instant camera captures little moments and big occasions on film, which feels a little more special than whipping out an iPhone.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
2 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Analysts predict further job losses in the auto industry if the tariff policy continues.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
Freep.com,
26 July 2025
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Now, with the Airbnb officially canceled, Friend A insisted she should be held fully responsible for the loss.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
26 July 2025
Verb
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Jared Harris is the best movie John ever, licking his lips and sucking his teeth; Aidan Quinn is the best movie Paul.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2025
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Boston, Cleveland, and New York are licking their chops, ready to feast on a Bucks team missing its point guard, its bench leader, and its identity.—
Brian Sampson,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Yet no lawyer had previously brought up the rapes and beatings that Bell witnessed during his stay at Dozier, Brown and Martin said.—
The Marshall Project,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 July 2025
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In Chicago, the closest parallel to the racial attacks in 1980s New York was the 1997 Bridgeport attack on Lenard Clark, a Black 13-year-old, by a group of teenagers including Frank Caruso Jr., who was convicted of the beating but ultimately forced to serve only two years of an eight-year sentence.—
Robert Chiarito,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Ruby, overwhelmed by the changes, began lashing out.—
TJ Macias,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2025
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Ruby, overwhelmed by the changes, began lashing out.—
TJ Macias,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Earlier this month, Greene was supposed to make a rehab start but suffered a setback with his groin and back injury.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 July 2025
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In the late 2000s, Erdogan started secret talks with the PKK leadership in Oslo, in coordination with Ocalan, which faced sabotage and setbacks, but eventually led to a ceasefire by the PKK in 2013.—
Ragip Soylu,
Time,
18 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Drubbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drubbing. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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