1
as in to hide
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
Grandpa told us that when he was a kid, if he misbehaved at all, his father would tan his backside with a belt
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
a time when children were routinely tanned for misbehavior
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tan
Bogs are low-oxygen environments and prevent decay, and chemicals like tannins — used in tanning leather — preserve even the organic tissues from human remains, according to Britannica.
—
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2025
Guests have access to several pools, two hot tubs, a splash pool, a lazy river, and an oceanfront tanning lawn.
—Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2025
Sea lions are generally blonde to tan in color, and the males tend to be larger than the females, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
—Paloma Chavez, Sacramento Bee, 11 Feb. 2025
The new release offers a lower price point than Dolce Glow, the professional tanning company that Vita launched in 2015 and took to retail with at-home products in 2021.
—Ryma Chikhoune, WWD, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tan
Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2025
Guests have access to several pools, two hot tubs, a splash pool, a lazy river, and an oceanfront tanning lawn.
—Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 19 Feb. 2025
Sea lions are generally blonde to tan in color, and the males tend to be larger than the females, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
—Paloma Chavez, Sacramento Bee, 11 Feb. 2025
The new release offers a lower price point than Dolce Glow, the professional tanning company that Vita launched in 2015 and took to retail with at-home products in 2021.
—Ryma Chikhoune, WWD, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tan
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tan
Verb
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In an interview with The Times of London Sunday, the Lord of the Rings actor urged famous LGBTQ people hiding their identity to come out of the closet.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
10 Mar. 2025
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While Timothy's family didn't think twice about his odd behavior — Victoria laughed and rolled her eyes, Saxon laughed, Lochlan cringed, and Piper hid her face in embarrassment — Isaacs spent a long time thinking about what has led his character to this rock bottom moment.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
EW.com,
10 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Being licked by the cows and licking them back is a daily occurrence for her.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
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Evy was holding an ice cream cone and lowered it so Kinley could lick it.—
Jordan Greene,
People.com,
11 Mar. 2025
Verb
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News round-up Real Madrid set up El Clasico in Spain’s Supercopa by leathering Mallorca 3-0 last night.—
Phil Hay,
The Athletic,
10 Jan. 2025
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Almost from the start, Dharavi was defined by its industries: from the traditional potters of Gujarat who began arriving in the late 1800s, to leather tanners from Tamil Nadu and embroidery workers from Uttar Pradesh.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN,
29 June 2024
Verb
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My heart started pounding a little after Sigmon's lawyer read his final statement.—
Jeffrey Collins,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2025
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The overnight barrage -- which also pounded residences and wounded at least 10 people -- came days after the U.S. suspended military aid and intelligence to Ukraine to pressure it into accepting a peace deal being pushed by the Trump administration.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
8 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The moment was so precious that Reed whipped out her phone to take a quick video and later shared it on TikTok.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA TODAY,
18 Mar. 2025
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Blizzards expected in Northern Plains Forecasters warned that heavy snow whipped by powerful winds are likely to make travel treacherous in parts of the Rockies and Northern Plains.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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So Morris lashed out, sneaking out and breaking into homes, cars, and schools.—
Guthrie Scrimgeour,
Rolling Stone,
16 Mar. 2025
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When conflict arises — a toddler might have a tearful tantrum, or an older kid may shout or lash out — a ‘democratic parent’ should be mindful of the fact that there is likely a root cause of the difficult behavior.—
Miranda Rake,
Parents,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Last season, the veteran slashed .251/.335/.468 with 26 home runs and 26 doubles.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
17 Mar. 2025
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The cutscene slashes through the past and present of the Hive God pantheon, which has a dead Oryx quasi-returned and now interested in us, his killers.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
Verb
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As Chinese residents struggled to extinguish the blaze, a crowd of white residents began pelting them with rocks and cut the fire hose.—
Michael Luo,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
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Confrontations spilled over into nearby streets, with groups of hooded protesters entering an archaeological site near the ancient Roman monument of Hadrian’s Arch and pelting riot police with rocks.—
Derek Gatopoulos and Elena Becatoros,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tan. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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