shellacking

noun

shel·​lack·​ing shə-ˈla-kiŋ How to pronounce shellacking (audio)
Synonyms of shellackingnext
: a decisive defeat : drubbing

Synonyms of shellacking

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Examples of shellacking in a Sentence

They took a shellacking in yesterday's game. suffered a shellacking at the hands of a vastly superior opposition
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But those utterly non-competitive back-to-back shellackings at the hands of the Oilers and Ducks this week? — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2026 Perhaps the good vibes helped his teammates in their most dominant win of the season, the 10-2 shellacking of the Blueshirts. — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 13 Jan. 2026 With the second-round shellacking, Texas is in the Sweet 16 round for the fifth time in head coach Vic Schaefer's six-year tenure. — Danny Davis, Austin American Statesman, 22 Mar. 2026 All that said, Britons’ appetite to hand a shellacking to Starmer and the political establishment appears undimmed. — Alexander Smith, NBC news, 8 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for shellacking

Word History

First Known Use

1931, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shellacking was in 1931

Rhymes for shellacking

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Browse Nearby Words

shellac
shellacking
shellac wax
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Cite this Entry

“Shellacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shellacking. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

shellacking

noun
shel·​lack·​ing
shə-ˈlak-iŋ
: a lopsided defeat

More from Merriam-Webster on shellacking

Nglish: Translation of shellacking for Spanish Speakers

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