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
Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2025
Following an 8-1 shellacking against the Kings on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena, the Sharks (20-44-10, 50 points) showed life at 5:28 when Russian defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin connected on his second goal in 29 games this season.
—Josh Gross, Oc Register, 2 Apr. 2025
In California, Democrats gained three House seats and now outnumber Republicans 43 to 9.
Democrats suffered a trifecta loss of Washington power, but not a shellacking — nothing that a more appealing presidential candidate couldn’t have remedied.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
The Warriors are 16-4 with him in the lineup, even after the shellacking.
—Danny Emerman, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Noun
Meanwhile, the other local Fortune 500 companies took a shellacking.
—Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 4 Apr. 2025
Following an 8-1 shellacking against the Kings on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena, the Sharks (20-44-10, 50 points) showed life at 5:28 when Russian defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin connected on his second goal in 29 games this season.
—Josh Gross, Oc Register, 2 Apr. 2025
In California, Democrats gained three House seats and now outnumber Republicans 43 to 9.
Democrats suffered a trifecta loss of Washington power, but not a shellacking — nothing that a more appealing presidential candidate couldn’t have remedied.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
The Warriors are 16-4 with him in the lineup, even after the shellacking.
—Danny Emerman, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shellacking
Noun
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The Arizona Democratic Party held its statutory meeting on Jan. 18, ousting their former leader, Yolanda Bejarano, and installing businessman Robert Branscomb as the new chair on the heels of the party's defeat in state elections.—
Ray Stern,
AZCentral.com,
30 July 2025
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The son of Polish Holocaust survivors—his mother watched her mother and brother die at the hands of the Nazis; his father hid for six hundred days in a hole in the ground—Keret writes with irony, woundedness, and, sometimes, an accent of defeat.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
28 July 2025
Noun
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The 2022 Republican primary for governor focused heavily on whether to dismantle the Wisconsin Elections Commission as GOP candidates navigated a primary electorate still angry over President Donald Trump's loss in 2020.—
Jessie Opoien,
jsonline.com,
26 July 2025
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Under this plan, foreign workers would only be admitted to supplement—not displace—the U.S. workforce, addressing concerns about wage suppression and job loss.—
Andy J. Semotiuk,
Forbes.com,
26 July 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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Yet no lawyer had previously brought up the rapes and beatings that Bell witnessed during his stay at Dozier, Brown and Martin said.—
The Marshall Project,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 July 2025
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In Chicago, the closest parallel to the racial attacks in 1980s New York was the 1997 Bridgeport attack on Lenard Clark, a Black 13-year-old, by a group of teenagers including Frank Caruso Jr., who was convicted of the beating but ultimately forced to serve only two years of an eight-year sentence.—
Robert Chiarito,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
Noun
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The world’s children need our support now more than ever Despite this enormous setback, UNICEF's work for children does not stop now — especially given this time of unprecedented need.—
Sarah Ferguson,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
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Finding the liberal Joe Rogan became high-dollar Democrats’ white whale after losing the 2024 presidential election, but this week, the party suffered setbacks with two reliable media mouthpieces.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
18 July 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 2 Aug. 2025.
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