as in defeat
failure to win a contest
suffered a shellacking at the hands of a vastly superior opposition
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in drubbing
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
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Recent Examples of shellacking
Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 7 Feb. 2025
While Ohio State is a perennial ratings draw, even the rich kids from the Big Ten can’t do much to prevent fans from churning away when a shellacking is in the works.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 22 Jan. 2025
But as a 36-14 shellacking in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday night cautioned America … not all of them.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 29 Dec. 2024
But what a resounding response Ohio State had in a 42-14 shellacking of a Tennessee team that allowed more than 20 points only twice in the regular season with 31 on the high end.
—Tom Layberger, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Noun
Its first exclusive playoff contest—a Ravens 28-14 shellacking of the Steelers—garnered 22.1 million average viewers, with a peak of 24.7 million tuned in.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 7 Feb. 2025
While Ohio State is a perennial ratings draw, even the rich kids from the Big Ten can’t do much to prevent fans from churning away when a shellacking is in the works.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 22 Jan. 2025
But as a 36-14 shellacking in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday night cautioned America … not all of them.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 29 Dec. 2024
But what a resounding response Ohio State had in a 42-14 shellacking of a Tennessee team that allowed more than 20 points only twice in the regular season with 31 on the high end.
—Tom Layberger, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shellacking
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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An 11-3 Opening Day loss in Baltimore didn’t define the Angels last year.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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The three primary threats to pollinators are habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change, Cornelisse said.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Elle was also seen whipping her hands in a circle to the music during the awards ceremony.—
Stephanie Wenger,
People.com,
6 Jan. 2025
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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
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Others include the cardiac signals that control the beating of your heart, along with other signals that tell your muscles to contract.—
Steve Granick,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2025
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Buy So, even with a 53-11 record and Oklahoma City applying regular-season beatings to the rest of the NBA every night, there is still an air of mystery around the Thunder’s championship-level viability.—
Tony Jones,
The Athletic,
10 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The smartest entrepreneurs use tough times as a launchpad, not a setback.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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Halterman recently had a setback with her health following a recent bout of COVID-19 earlier this year that landed her in the hospital for three days, requiring a heart monitor.—
Vanessa Etienne,
People.com,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Representative Mike Lawler of New York, who has hinted at ambitions for a governor bid in 2026, according to the New York Post, will need to walk a fine line between appeasing his party and not upsetting potential voters in his home state, which could put him at odds with Republicans.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
4 Jan. 2025
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These weeds require control to prevent upsetting the entire turf ecosystem.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
1 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shellacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shellacking. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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