shellacking 1 of 2

noun

shə-ˈla-kiŋ How to pronounce shellacking (audio)
Definition of shellackingnext
as in defeat
failure to win a contest suffered a shellacking at the hands of a vastly superior opposition

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shellacking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of shellac
as in whipping
to defeat by a large margin the local football team was shellacked 35-0 in their final outing for the season

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 shellacking
Noun
But those utterly non-competitive back-to-back shellackings at the hands of the Oilers and Ducks this week? — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2026 With the second-round shellacking, Texas is in the Sweet 16 round for the fifth time in head coach Vic Schaefer's six-year tenure. — Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 22 Mar. 2026
Verb
Not many losses will be as loud as the 139-96 shellacking the Thunder (61-16) handed the Lakers (50-27) at Paycom Center – the type of loss that takes some of the steam out of the Lakers’ 15-2 March surge. — Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026 Yin was 3-for-3 and had four RBIs in Monta Vista 32-0 shellacking over Jefferson. — Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shellacking
  1. defeat
  2. whipping
  3. loss
  4. bombing
  5. beating
  6. drubbing
  7. setback
  8. overcoming
Noun
  • But the Cardinals surged with two outs in the fifth, rallying for three runs against Warren to deal the Yankees a 3-1 defeat and a series loss.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The Nexstar-Tegna deal suffered a legal defeat in April 2026 when a court issued an injunction halting the companies from continuing with their merger integration in a lawsuit filed by eight state attorneys general.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of defeat
Verb
  • Battered cars with numbers sprayed on their sides are whipping around the dirt track of the Lebanon Valley Speedway, loose fenders flopping like overgrown bangs in the swirling dust.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Iguanas usually go viral for other reasons Iguanas are usually quick-moving and run away from their would-be captors with their long tails whipping behind them.
    — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 24 July 2026
Definition of whipping
Noun
  • More than 2 million acres had burned, the center said – that’s twice the previous 10-year average for the period, and the highest loss in 14 years.
    — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Skubal took the loss in the decisive Game 5 of the division series against Cleveland in 2024 and then got a no-decision in a 15-inning loss to Seattle in Game 5 of the division series last year.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of loss
Verb
  • In 2003, Libya formally took responsibility for bombing Pan Am 103.
    — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 30 July 2026
  • The meeting came after nearly two weeks of the United States bombing Iran, with Tehran striking back against allies in the region, including a hit on a military base in Jordan that killed three American service members.
    — Jonathan Lemire, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026
Definition of bombing
Noun
  • An autopsy later determined that Hedgepeth died after a severe beating to the head, according to NBC News.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Michael, who would later split from his father’s control, accused him of severe childhood emotional and physical abuse, including beatings with iron cords.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of beating
Verb
  • The mighty Mariners, who mashed five solo home runs at raucous T-Mobile Park, clinched their title by drubbing Major League Baseball’s doormat, aka the Colorado Rockies, 9-2.
    — Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025
Definition of drubbing
Noun
  • After being announced in May, the fund faced a series of legal setbacks.
    — Melina Khan, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
  • But the start of the working week in Israel finds its leader grappling with setbacks in both areas.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of setback
Verb
  • The release came as Ariana dropped her eighth studio album Petal, which explores themes of overcoming negativity and personal growth, on Friday, July 31.
    — Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Instead of overcoming their fatal flaw and defeating their shadow-self, the titular Eternals are reckoning with their relationship to God and the grand arc of human history.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of overcoming

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Cite this Entry

“Shellacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shellacking. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of shellacking for Spanish Speakers

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