LICKING Synonyms: 222 Similar and Opposite Words

licking 1 of 2

noun

ˈli-kiŋ

Definition of licking

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

licking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of lick

as in pounding

to strike repeatedly your father will lick you good if he hears you using swear words

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in defeating

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 licking

Noun

Becker advises watching for excessive licking, especially of the paws, drooling, skin irritation, or unusual lethargy. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026 March has a wide variety of loadouts, from sleek two-in-ones to rugged portables that'll take a licking and keep on ticking. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 20 Mar. 2026

Verb

Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 19, admitted to licking the straw and returning it to the vending machine while recording the act for his online followers. — CNN Money, 30 July 2026 That means no tasting cookie dough made with raw eggs, no licking brownie batter off the beaters, and no homemade Caesar dressing made with uncooked yolks. — Angela Haupt, Time, 23 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for licking

Recent Examples of Synonyms for licking

Noun

Police arrested a 16-year-old boy from the Israeli settlement of Avigayil in the beating of a 61-year-old Palestinian man.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
Chicago’s Indian Independence Day celebrations kicked off with the revving of motorcycles and the beating of drums, as a few dozen marchers decked out in orange, white and green headed down Devon Avenue in West Ridge.

— Evgenia Anastasakos, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of beating

Verb

Visually, the entire set was stunning, with fast cuts of Nancy Whang pounding on her keyboard, Al Doyle whirring his synthesizer, and Murphy shouting into his microphone, wrapped around his arm.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Keeping a potty close by will give little ones a better chance of reaching it on time when nature has given up on calling and is pounding down the door.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of pounding

Verb

Flag football Panorama pulled off the biggest upset of the week, defeating Eagle Rock in four overtimes.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Day denied that defeating Sununu is his ultimate objective, instead describing his campaign as an experiment in using third-party candidates to force the major parties to keep their promises.

— Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of defeating

Noun

Ultimately, Jacksonville State’s physicality should overwhelm FIU on both sides of the ball, resulting in an ugly defeat for the Panthers.

— Alejandro Hernandez, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
Meghan also wouldn’t be seen in public, including at Harry’s Invictus Games events, after her husband suffered a stunning and potentially costly court defeat in his invasion-of-privacy lawsuit against the Daily Mail.

— Martha Ross, Mercury News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of defeat

Verb

Rather than hiding from the toughest challenges, Hill confronted them head-on despite knowingly taking on some short-term pain and cost.

— Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
With that $140, York bought himself a lifetime of punchlines at his expense and, presumably, years of hiding from the spotlight.

— Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of hiding

Verb

The discovery opens up new possibilities for heat management in next-generation quantum devices, overcoming bottlenecks faced earlier.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 24 Aug. 2026
Wachter said some young buyers are overcoming high housing costs by looking at older homes and fixer-uppers, putting their own time and labor into improvements or even renting out part of the property to help cover costs.

— Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of overcoming

Noun

Kahleah Copper had 38 points for the Mercury (13-24), who were in the WNBA Finals last season, but were eliminated from the playoff chase with the loss.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
On a night that featured plenty of highlights, from Blade Tidwell’s strong start to Dylan Smith’s gutsy relief appearance to Andrew Knizner’s big night, San Francisco couldn’t avoid its 11th walk-off loss of the season.

— Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of loss

Verb

Whisk with ¾ cup whole milk and use in any sweet recipe that doesn’t require whipping.

— Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Aug. 2026
At the landing zone, with bullets whipping and cracking around them, Capers—barely clinging to consciousness—refused to board the helicopter until every last man, and his dog’s body, was aboard.

— Ethan Rocke, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of whipping

Browse Nearby Words

lickety-split

licking

lickings

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Style

“Licking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/licking. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of licking

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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