as in defeat
failure to win a contest
took a terrible drubbing in last night's basketball game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pounding
to strike repeatedly
a crowd was drubbing the purse snatcher when the police arrived on the scene
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in whipping
to defeat by a large margin
we drubbed our traditional football rivals so badly that it was basically no contest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drubbing
Noun
-
As a result, Atlanta were able to enact revenge on The Bay who handed them their only defeat of the TGL season.—
Ben Morse,
CNN,
19 Mar. 2025 -
On the women’s side, JC Smith (7-18) opens against Livingstone — a team that swept the Golden Bulls with a pair of 13-point defeats in the regular season.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The crowd was so excited that the plexiglass behind us was pounding.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Dec. 2024
-
Prepare for fast, heart-pounding action and brutal competition in this multiplayer game.—
Dana Feldman,
Forbes,
28 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Elle was also seen whipping her hands in a circle to the music during the awards ceremony.—
Stephanie Wenger,
People.com,
6 Jan. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
Between those losses, Illinois won four straight games in promising fashion: two against Iowa, at then-No. 13 Michigan and against then-No. 18 Purdue.—
Colleen Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2025
-
The unit suffered a net loss of $113 million in 2024, reversing a $13 million profit in 2023 and $100 million in net earnings in 2022.—
Yun Li,
CNBC,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Could there be a medical reason behind their licking?—
Andy Biggs,
Newsweek,
25 Dec. 2024
-
However, many cat owners will hesitate to stop their cats from licking them, to avoid hurting their feelings.—
Andy Biggs,
Newsweek,
25 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Related article Iran accuses detained British couple of spying Flogging is a form of beating that involves a whip or rod and is commonly administered to the person’s back.—
Artemis Moshtaghian and Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN,
5 Mar. 2025
-
Prosecutors told the panel that the beatings that killed little Ayden began the day before his death.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The fight led to Musk lashing out at his opponents on X, who accused him of demonetizing or suspending them.—
Jess Weatherbed,
The Verge,
3 Jan. 2025
-
The fight led to Musk lashing out at his opponents on X, who accused him of demonetizing or suspending them.—
Jess Weatherbed,
The Verge,
3 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
With Starship, the recent failures are a significant setback.—
Ryan Whitwam,
Ars Technica,
10 Mar. 2025
-
The big picture: The high court's eventual decision could deal a major setback to the LGBTQ+ community, which the executive branch has already targeted with an executive order blitz that undermines protections and quality of life for transgender people.—
Ina Fried,
Axios,
10 Mar. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Drubbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drubbing. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share