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
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 drubbing
Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Cincinnati digested the latest drubbing against Detroit knowing the only answers at quarterback were outside the building.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Even after a 14-win regular season campaign, fans didn’t exactly leave last year’s playoff drubbing at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams overly enthused about their professional football franchise.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 28 Sep. 2025
Their voices have been heard, as Tewksbury (2-0) made a statement in its own right with an eye-opening 28-6 drubbing of Methuen.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
The most impressive of those by far was a 31-7 drubbing of South Carolina in the Gamecocks' own backyard.
—Chase Goodbread, The Tuscaloosa News, 24 Sep. 2025
Williams rose to the occasion, throwing for 298 yards and four touchdowns in the Bears' 31-14 drubbing of the Cowboys, Chicago's first win of the season.
—Kate Reilly, NBC news, 24 Sep. 2025
Also, Bears coach Ben Johnson was the architect behind the Lions’ 47-9 drubbing of the Cowboys in Dallas last season, and Micah Parsons wasn’t available for that game either (obviously Parsons is in Green Bay now).
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Sep. 2025
Hendrickson has two sacks for Cincinnati, which is 2-1 but coming off a 48-10 drubbing against Minnesota.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
Meanwhile, the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays are fresh off a drubbing of the New York Yankees.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Cincinnati digested the latest drubbing against Detroit knowing the only answers at quarterback were outside the building.
—Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
Even after a 14-win regular season campaign, fans didn’t exactly leave last year’s playoff drubbing at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams overly enthused about their professional football franchise.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 28 Sep. 2025
Their voices have been heard, as Tewksbury (2-0) made a statement in its own right with an eye-opening 28-6 drubbing of Methuen.
—Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
The most impressive of those by far was a 31-7 drubbing of South Carolina in the Gamecocks' own backyard.
—Chase Goodbread, The Tuscaloosa News, 24 Sep. 2025
Williams rose to the occasion, throwing for 298 yards and four touchdowns in the Bears' 31-14 drubbing of the Cowboys, Chicago's first win of the season.
—Kate Reilly, NBC news, 24 Sep. 2025
Also, Bears coach Ben Johnson was the architect behind the Lions’ 47-9 drubbing of the Cowboys in Dallas last season, and Micah Parsons wasn’t available for that game either (obviously Parsons is in Green Bay now).
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Sep. 2025
Hendrickson has two sacks for Cincinnati, which is 2-1 but coming off a 48-10 drubbing against Minnesota.
—Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drubbing
Noun
-
Morrissey believes Mizzou will be able to compete with the Crimson Tide, unlike last year’s 34-0 shutout defeat on the road.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
9 Oct. 2025
-
And when the intensity hovers, and the footsteps of defeat get closer, that’s when Gray cooks.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Here, a shopping mall serves as a safe haven from the undead pounding on the doors outside.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
-
The service itself pulsed with sound with horns blaring, drums pounding and voices rising in song.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
While summer may be over, nothing is stopping you from whipping this thing out for the holiday season.—
Wilder Davies,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
7 Oct. 2025
-
The wind was whipping this past week at McGrath Stadium, mist in the air.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Kennedy sought the advice of doctors after dealing with severe memory loss and brain fog, reportedly leading to a scan of his brain that showed a dark spot in the imagery.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Following Sunday's loss, first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer defended Eberflus, saying the product on the field is a team effort.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Elizabeth and Dominic's 95 guests burst into laughter as the dog jumped into the fountain and began walking around, licking up water.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Charlotte has the right process, but the Hornets are also licking their wounds a bit from a couple of 2024 offseason moves that didn’t quite work out.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Earlier in the week, Afghan authorities accused Pakistan of bombing the capital, Kabul, and a market in the country's east.—
NPR,
NPR,
12 Oct. 2025
-
For months, Israel has conducted a campaign of airstrikes across Syria, repeatedly bombing Syrian military positions, including near the presidential palace in Damascus.—
Mireille Rebeiz,
The Conversation,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In a 31-14 beating of Dallas two weeks ago, Williams was not sacked for the first time in his career.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
-
You weren’t allowed to paint your culture, you weren’t allowed to dance, you weren’t allowed to cook your food, do your drum beating, any of that.—
Duante Beddingfield,
Freep.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
How much the reader should sympathize with Lisa—whether the character whom Harwicz has created is more aptly seen as a wronged person lashing out or as a more lucid villain—also feels unresolved.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Bill Burr is lashing out at critics for slamming his appearance at the Riyadh Comedy Festival.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Drubbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drubbing. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share