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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of licking
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2025
Her dog had multiple litters before and knew licking helped.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025
Erotica assumes shared association, touching, stroking, licking, looking, playing, exposing.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for licking
Noun
The licking happens late in the first of five episodes, created by Molly Smith Metzler, based on her play Elemeno Pea.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2025
Her dog had multiple litters before and knew licking helped.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025
Verb
Despite her best efforts, 4-year-old Dewey eventually succeeded in wriggling his way over to the sleeping man, enthusiastically licking him awake.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 19 Mar. 2025
Erotica assumes shared association, touching, stroking, licking, looking, playing, exposing.
—Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for licking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for licking
Noun
-
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
-
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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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
Noun
-
And moments of a 3-2 defeat to the Sounders showed the gap between where KC is at compared to the true competitors in the league.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
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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With their teeth bared in a frozen rictus grin, this couple appears to be hiding a darkness which we are left only to guess at.—
Naomi Fry,
The New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2025
-
My safety came down to something as simple as hiding my name.—
Ismat Ara,
TIME,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
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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The 2022 Republican primary for governor focused heavily on whether to dismantle the Wisconsin Elections Commission as GOP candidates navigated a primary electorate still angry over President Donald Trump's loss in 2020.—
Jessie Opoien,
jsonline.com,
26 July 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
Verb
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The unit uses tools that were once the preserve of the world’s top mastering houses and is inspired by the artistry of mastering engineers.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
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From entry-level careers to the C-suite, mastering soft skills opens up leadership opportunities.—
Cheryl Robinson,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Microsoft’s current cuts were preceded by the trimming of 6,000 employees in May.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
2 July 2025
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Daniels offers men's cuts in addition to beard trimming.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Licking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licking. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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