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
Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
But those Boston comebacks and the 38-point shellacking to end the Celtics’ season weren’t only because of Brunson’s late-game valiance.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The latest: After the surprise shellacking, Cook County GOP chair Sean Morrison resigned.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 9 Apr. 2025
The ever-optimistic and strikingly transparent RH CEO Gary Friedman and his company took a shellacking this week.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Noun
But the shellacking against PSG on Saturday marks the end of a cycle for the current Inter team, who at 29.1 years has the oldest squad in Serie A by average age.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
But those Boston comebacks and the 38-point shellacking to end the Celtics’ season weren’t only because of Brunson’s late-game valiance.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 21 May 2025
The latest: After the surprise shellacking, Cook County GOP chair Sean Morrison resigned.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 9 Apr. 2025
The ever-optimistic and strikingly transparent RH CEO Gary Friedman and his company took a shellacking this week.
—Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shellacking
Noun
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That’s twice as many defeats as victories in games decided by a single run.—
Dan Schlossberg,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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That game also ended up being a soul-crushing loss for the reeling Bombers, as other newbies Camilo Doval, David Bednar and José Caballero also played pivotal parts in the defeat.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The investment decline and loss of confidence that followed is now nearing a decade.—
Gaurav Sharma,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
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Vibrant, golden turmeric, the darling Indian spice packed with curcumin, an anti-inflammatory powerhouse, has also been shown to prevent memory loss.—
Catharine Kaufman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Aug. 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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Good morning, The Padres last night took their worst beating at Petco Park since before last year’s All-Star break.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Aug. 2025
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Daniel Jones, Drew Lock, Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito all have taken beatings behind the Giants’ offensive line, especially their reserves, in recent years.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Ila Desai faced setbacks when developing Girls Count Too, a math program for fifth-grade girls.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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The Blind Horse was originally slated to open in the spring, but the project faced several setbacks with permitting, historical preservation, building code compliance and poor weather that impacted construction.—
Claudia Levens,
jsonline.com,
12 Aug. 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 23 Aug. 2025.
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