as in defeats
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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lickings
Noun
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Wolves were still fighting for survival long after relegation appeared an inevitability but three defeats, without scoring a goal, in their past three games suggest Sunderland could enjoy themselves at Molineux on Saturday.—
Oliver Kay, New York Times, 1 May 2026
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Lula is yet to make public comments about his defeats in Congress.— ABC News, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The answer doomed him to further beatings—but that was not the point.— Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
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Those who ignore or refuse the Mexican Mafia’s rules or orders are often targeted for beatings or even death.— Sean Emery, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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Recent survey results on job losses have ticked above that percentage in the past year.— George Petras, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Michael’s tendency to speak up earned him frequent whippings with his father’s belt.— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
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In September, a photo showing an enslaved man's scarred back from whippings was removed from a national monument in Georgia.— Aida Mogos, CBS News, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There have been setbacks along the way.— Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
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But noise, as well as glare, are typically buffered with vegetative landscaping and setbacks, or the distance between the property line and the nearest structure.— Anna Clark, ProPublica, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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People who compost their food scraps and yard trimmings can contribute to reducing landfill methane emissions; improving soil health; and sequestering carbon, according to the EPA.— Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026
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Organized by the curatorial fellow Yifu Liu, the show has trimmings in just about every frame.— Emilia Petrarca, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
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“Lickings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/lickings. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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