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
Mireya Solís, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
The media is focused on the fight between moderates and progressives as the party seeks to recover from their 2024 shellacking.
—John Opdycke, New York Daily News, 21 July 2025
Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Robert Morris opened the campaign with a 45-3 loss at West Virginia before taking a 56-17 shellacking at Youngstown State.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Noun
Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, of the LDP, has defied calls to step down after his coalition received a shellacking in three consecutive elections under his watch.
—Mireya Solís, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2025
The media is focused on the fight between moderates and progressives as the party seeks to recover from their 2024 shellacking.
—John Opdycke, New York Daily News, 21 July 2025
Verb
While Cincinnati’s visit to Detroit was one of the more intriguing matchups on the fall calendar, the loss of Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ subsequent 48-10 shellacking under the horns of the Vikings have made the team a liability of sorts.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Robert Morris opened the campaign with a 45-3 loss at West Virginia before taking a 56-17 shellacking at Youngstown State.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shellacking
Noun
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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
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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
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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
Noun
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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
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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
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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
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The wind was whipping this past week at McGrath Stadium, mist in the air.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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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
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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
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In early September, the group Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, an al-Qaida affiliate, announced a ban on fuel imports from neighboring countries in what analysts say poses huge risks for the fragile local economy and is a significant setback for Mali’s military junta.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
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The latest setback came when Miami let a late lead slip away in a 29-27 Week 6 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.—
Tim Crowley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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With the Dragons trouncing Byron Nelson and Trinity, the gap between them and the rest of the competition is incredibly wide.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Sep. 2025
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Though Roan is a total force on stage, polished and magnetic while trouncing around a set made to look like an illustrated fairytale castle, the show is not without her signature frankness.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
21 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shellacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shellacking. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
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