1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
gave the ball a solid lick with the bat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in shred
a very small amount
the soup needs just a lick more of salt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in damn
the smallest amount or part imaginable
you haven't done a lick of work all day
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to hide
to strike repeatedly
your father will lick you good if he hears you using swear words
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to master
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 lick
Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
There is not a lick of exaggeration in that statement.
—Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 24 Mar. 2026
Adam England, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
There’s Cassie licking a melting ice cream cone as the ice cream drips down her bare chest.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lick
Noun
The Bruins didn’t play a lick of defense in their only home loss of the season – a 98-97 overtime defeat against Indiana.
—Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 25 Mar. 2026
There is not a lick of exaggeration in that statement.
—Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
Maximilien, a French national, allegedly uploaded a clip of himself licking a straw from an iJooz vending machine before putting it back in the dispenser.
—Adam England, PEOPLE, 27 Apr. 2026
There’s Cassie licking a melting ice cream cone as the ice cream drips down her bare chest.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lick
Noun
-
Shortly after the five-year anniversary of the killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo by a Chicago police officer, the case was poised to move to a high-profile weekslong trial when a Cook County judge dealt a blow to the Toledo family’s case.—
Madeline Buckley,
Chicago Tribune,
3 May 2026
-
Helping cushion the blow of the supply shock, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have used alternative export routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
That was the last shred of competitiveness in the game.—
Devon Henderson,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
-
Gobert was chief among the beggars imploring his teammates for a shred of consistency on that end of the floor.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Volcanoes, like stars and tides and changing seasons, don’t give a damn.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
-
What is emerging instead is a stewardship model that treats vital ecosystems, like coral reefs, as dynamic systems requiring maintenance, repair, and adaptation, much like roads, damns, and power grids.—
Bill Frist,
Forbes.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
To add order, cabinets hide toys, there’s a small desk for homework, and East London Cloth café curtains filter the light.—
Katherine Burns Olson,
Architectural Digest,
1 May 2026
-
The Harrison County Health Department notes dark clothing resembles the shadows mosquitoes hide in.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Pig organs are similar enough in size and function to humans', but transplanting entire organs was completely out of reach until about a decade ago when scientists began mastering gene editing well enough to breed pigs whose organs are less likely to be rejected by the human immune system.—
Karen Weintraub,
USA Today,
3 May 2026
-
Bonitto has mastered the art of the get-off, boasting one of the fastest in the league.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
John Carlson let fly with a slap shot that hit Poehling and trickled into the net for his fourth playoff goal.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
1 May 2026
-
Guentzel fired a slap shot between Dobes’ legs on another 2-on-1 breakaway to tie it at 2 late in the second.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Elsewhere around the league, Providence has made a splash early into the tenure of new head coach Bryan Hodgson, who came from USF to replace Kim English.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
-
The return on investment in human potential is far higher where each dollar can make a splash, rather than adding to an already deep reservoir.—
Ed Smith-Lewis,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
Moreover, Trump cares not a whit about bringing drug traffickers to justice.—
Peter Kornbluh,
Washington Post,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Miss Keaton…is not a whit like the flustered ingénue she was cast to play.—
Chris Morris,
Variety,
11 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lick. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
