as in to wax
to defeat by a large margin
the local football team was shellacked 35-0 in their final outing for the season
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shellac
Unlike some hairsprays that shellac your hair into place and risk flaking, this one keeps things soft, touchable, and free of helmet hair.
—
Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 17 Feb. 2025
Our protagonists can’t like each other too much at the start: Oliver (Darren Criss, as shellacked as a brunette Ken doll, with similarly hinged joints) is a Helperbot 3, an older model of a popular line of humanoid robots that are essentially Jeeves powered by battery.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025
Then again, the Lakers just shellacked the defending champion Boston Celtics on Thursday night.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
The Rams coach rested his stars in the season finale, dropping a spot in the standings but shellacking the Vikings regardless.
—Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellac
Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 17 Feb. 2025
Our protagonists can’t like each other too much at the start: Oliver (Darren Criss, as shellacked as a brunette Ken doll, with similarly hinged joints) is a Helperbot 3, an older model of a popular line of humanoid robots that are essentially Jeeves powered by battery.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2025
Then again, the Lakers just shellacked the defending champion Boston Celtics on Thursday night.
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
The Rams coach rested his stars in the season finale, dropping a spot in the standings but shellacking the Vikings regardless.
—Jeff Howe, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellac
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shellac
Verb
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That evening there will be food trucks, a gear waxing clinic and a talent show spotlighting attendees who sign up to perform their unique skills.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
The Denver Post,
18 Mar. 2025
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Dermatologists wax poetic about changing your skin care routine with the seasons.—
Mary Honkus,
Glamour,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Estrogen creams—skincare products designed to reduce signs of aging like wrinkles and dryness—have received glowing reviews on social media.—
Sarah Garone,
Health,
18 Mar. 2025
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Sides lean toward hearty and include mac and cheese and jalapeño creamed corn.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Israel bombed Gaza in what was one of the deadliest single days since the war began.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
21 Mar. 2025
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On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Navy bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.—
Mary LaPorte,
Hartford Courant,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Both Banchero and Wagner, who started alongside Cory Joseph, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Wendell Carter Jr., were able to overcome the defensive attention from the Kings and attack the basket with ease.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2025
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Recognizing these challenges is the first step toward overcoming them.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
30 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Meister can often immediately identify on an MRI that a pitcher throws a sweeper—a hard slider that the pitcher whips to get about fifteen inches of horizontal movement from the ball.—
Lindsey Adler,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2025
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The moment, which made the episode’s final cut, occurs when Drummond whips Mark S. around and pushes him into a wall.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2025
Verb
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That saves you several annoying steps of opening your email to find the flight number, copying it, then pasting it into Google to find the flight’s status.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2025
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This will to copy and paste the images of history in effect occludes its alien beauty and force—the simulacrum devours its source.—
Namwali Serpell,
The New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The structure is made of opus reticulatum—bricks laid in a diamond pattern—and contains a volcanic rock called tuff: details suggesting high status individuals were buried here, as Artnet News’ Richard Whiddington reports.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
1 Apr. 2025
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Play defense straight up and Bueckers will bury them.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
1 Apr. 2025
Verb
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There are many ways to skin this particular cat, mind you.—
Sean T. Collins,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2025
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But in our solar system, there’s more than one way to skin a planet.—
Elise Cutts,
Quanta Magazine,
12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shellac.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shellac. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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