1
as in blows
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument gave the ball a solid lick with the bat
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Relevance
2
as in splashes
a very small amount the soup needs just a lick more of salt
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in damns
the smallest amount or part imaginable you haven't done a lick of work all day
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1
as in pounds
to strike repeatedly your father will lick you good if he hears you using swear words
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2
as in masters
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of licks
Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026 She was known to sneak butter from the fridge to enjoy a few finger licks. —ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026 Miami got some good licks on Mendoza, bloodying his lip early on a shot from Jakobe Thomas that probably could have drawn a flag for targeting. —Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2026 Magazine staffers gathered in the editor’s office and listened in awe to pedal steel licks and tight, pretty harmonies — from the Dead! —Ben Fong-Torres, Rolling Stone, 18 Jan. 2026 Buzzing melodies of alt-rock drift over midtown and in the places in between—licks, backbeats and inspirations are traded by musicians and producers bar for bar. —Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026 The guitarist, songwriter and record producer was not known for flashy playing, but his spare, catchy licks and solid rhythm chops helped define Memphis soul music. —Christian Orozco, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025 Sean Kaufman and Christopher Briney locked licks on the Jumbotron. —Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Nov. 2025 Sexy guitar licks and a groovy rhythm couple together to create a fiery, catchy tune. —Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 30 Oct. 2025
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026 After the drill, Ruin rolls onto his back, then licks a reporter's nose. —Megan Sauer tasia Jensen, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026 Weir picked up his first guitar licks from David Nelson and future Jefferson Airplane member Jorma Kaukonen. —Richard Gehr, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2026 Posted to the account @maisythemarshmallow on September 19, the video shows the dog, named Maisy, lying calmly as the cat snuggles up and licks her face. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025 When asked the question, the owl takes the lollipop and licks it three times before chomping down on its hard shell exterior and handing the stick back to the child. —Moná Thomas, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025 Hart opted to rap his part, which delighted his ecstatic band-members, the reggae-rhythm providing a steady groove and allowing for Mayer and Anastasio to trade licks back-and-forth. —Shirley Halperin, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025 Nashville's own Grace Bowers sat in with Molly Tuttle, Vince Gill and Peter Frampton trading licks from songs written long before the 18-year-old was born. —Melonee Hurt, Nashville Tennessean, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
Eventually music theory discussion turned to actual licks. —Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Apr. 2026 She was known to sneak butter from the fridge to enjoy a few finger licks. —ABC News, 12 Mar. 2026 Miami got some good licks on Mendoza, bloodying his lip early on a shot from Jakobe Thomas that probably could have drawn a flag for targeting. —Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2026 Magazine staffers gathered in the editor’s office and listened in awe to pedal steel licks and tight, pretty harmonies — from the Dead! —Ben Fong-Torres, Rolling Stone, 18 Jan. 2026 Buzzing melodies of alt-rock drift over midtown and in the places in between—licks, backbeats and inspirations are traded by musicians and producers bar for bar. —Joe Sills, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026 The guitarist, songwriter and record producer was not known for flashy playing, but his spare, catchy licks and solid rhythm chops helped define Memphis soul music. —Christian Orozco, NBC news, 4 Dec. 2025 Sean Kaufman and Christopher Briney locked licks on the Jumbotron. —Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Nov. 2025 Sexy guitar licks and a groovy rhythm couple together to create a fiery, catchy tune. —Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
Then, Mitski licks up the blood on the girl’s finger. —Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2026 After the drill, Ruin rolls onto his back, then licks a reporter's nose. —Megan Sauer tasia Jensen, CNBC, 14 Jan. 2026 Weir picked up his first guitar licks from David Nelson and future Jefferson Airplane member Jorma Kaukonen. —Richard Gehr, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2026 Posted to the account @maisythemarshmallow on September 19, the video shows the dog, named Maisy, lying calmly as the cat snuggles up and licks her face. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025 When asked the question, the owl takes the lollipop and licks it three times before chomping down on its hard shell exterior and handing the stick back to the child. —Moná Thomas, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025 Hart opted to rap his part, which delighted his ecstatic band-members, the reggae-rhythm providing a steady groove and allowing for Mayer and Anastasio to trade licks back-and-forth. —Shirley Halperin, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025 Nashville's own Grace Bowers sat in with Molly Tuttle, Vince Gill and Peter Frampton trading licks from songs written long before the 18-year-old was born. —Melonee Hurt, Nashville Tennessean, 14 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for licks
Noun
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The event felt like a throwback to the glitzy, lavish Hollywood premieres that used to take over the town every weekend, but have become scarce since the film business suffered a series of blows that have led to lots of belt-tightening.— Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 21 Apr. 2026
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The Senate’s quick passage of the 10-day patch was starkly different than the House’s rare overnight session, during which House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was dealt two consecutive blows.— Hailey Bullis, The Washington Examiner, 17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some splashes of color help enliven it too.— Adam Williams April 23, New Atlas, 23 Apr. 2026
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Naturally, the color palette revolves around a joyful, beachy vibe—all designed in shades of pink, citrus, and red, with splashes of leopard prints and snake textures.— Christian Allaire, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Irons pounds the drums like Bam-Bam smashing on two garbage-can lids.— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 13 Mar. 2026
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Macron said France is expending diplomatic capital to ensure a return to calm and to allow for the Lebanese armed forces to assert themselves as Israel pounds Hezbollah positions.— Sylvie Corbet, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Levy masters one hilarious perplexed comedic reaction after another as Nicky, a closeted pastor with a zany, highly dysfunctional family.— Randy Myers, Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2026
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The future belongs to the developer who masters the ability to break down human expertise into reusable agent skills.— Mohith Shrivastava, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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According to Instagram, Hudson’s makeup artist, Tonya Brewer, volumized her lashes with a few swipes of a smudge-free mascara, blurred her pores using a mattifying powder, defined her pout with a long-lasting lip liner, and more.— Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
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After a few swipes from the bass, the big school will break up into smaller schools trying to escape, which is where your A-rig shines.— Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Tons of bikinis on the market right now feature subtle touches like eyelets, jacquard weaves, and embroidery, all of which up the cool factor without pushing you out of your comfort zone.— Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 20 Apr. 2026
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One of Yun’s favorite touches is both sentimental and maximalist.— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Wiseman said to hoots from the crowd of media gathered at the site.— Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026
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Owl hoots are most effective at striking up turkeys when owls are naturally active, which is around dawn and dusk.— Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump lashes out at NATO and the Pope, again.— Jim Edwards, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2026
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The brand’s hero reusable Plushy lashes retail for $25 a pair, while the brand’s Control Kits, which include application tools, retail for about $125.— Noor Lobad, Footwear News, 13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Licks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/licks. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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