drubbing 1 of 2

noun

as in defeat
failure to win a contest took a terrible drubbing in last night's basketball game

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

drubbing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of drub
1
as in pounding
to strike repeatedly a crowd was drubbing the purse snatcher when the police arrived on the scene

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in whipping
to defeat by a large margin we drubbed our traditional football rivals so badly that it was basically no contest

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of drubbing
Noun
After Labour was handed a drubbing by voters in May's local and regional elections, the party took action. — ABC News, 22 June 2026 The drubbing moved the Sox to 42-38 on the season, and kept them in sole possession of first place in the AL Central. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026 Qatar will be reeling after their 6-0 drubbing by Canada, while Bosnia have been competitive before conceding late goals. — The Athletic Soccer Experts, New York Times, 24 June 2026 Coral Springs Charter won its semifinal with a 14-0 drubbing of Lakeland McKeel. — Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 23 May 2026 The Mavericks’ most recent conquest of the team from Texas was a 7-4 drubbing of the Americans on Wednesday night in Game 3. — The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026 And now Starmer himself is out less than two years into a five-year mandate, his Labour government undone by a local-election drubbing and a right-wing populist rise that has scrambled the country’s two-party map. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 23 June 2026 Barça noted the forward’s impressive tally of 72 goals in 131 games - two of which came in the recent 4-0 Champions League drubbing of Lyon, which gave the Catalans their fourth title in the European competition. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 And without Burnham’s presence, no Labour leadership race can really materialize despite seven ministers resigning from Starmer’s government since a drubbing for the party in May’s local elections, which do not affect the national government but provide an important indication of the public’s mood. — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
Verb
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drubbing
  1. defeat
  2. pounding
  3. whipping
  4. loss
  5. licking
  6. bombing
  7. beating
  8. lashing
Noun
  • The film culminates in the Battle of the Monongahela in 1755, where Washington steps up and delivers a rousing speech to the British army despite their defeat.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 July 2026
  • That conversion and conquest crusade brought disease and defeat to native Californians, whose numbers and ways of life would be all but exterminated by the time the United States of America celebrated its first 100 years.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of defeat
Verb
  • America is better when Paul Skenes is embarrassing hitters with Livvy in the stands pounding Miller Lites.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
  • The heart-pounding encounter ended with the calf reunited with its mother, dramatic photos on a cellphone — and the couple continuing on to catch brook trout.
    — Kate Brumback, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of pounding
Verb
  • And a Cut Absolute is whipping around upon seeing the person and walking away.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 29 June 2026
  • Patrick Evans made it to the top step of the Motocross Best Trick event with his electric bike, whipping out a no-handed front flip to loud cheers from the crowd before climbing back up the ramp to celebrate.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 28 June 2026
Definition of whipping
Noun
  • The congregation started to arrive at the usual time, about half an hour before Mass on a recent Saturday afternoon, the old church slowly filling with the descendants and caretakers of a place of great serenity but also great loss.
    — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
  • Fireflies are facing growing challenges from habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change and light pollution.
    — Janet Loehrke, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Definition of loss
Verb
  • But the Carolinas have their own ways of making barbecue finger-licking.
    — Amethyst Ganaway, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026
  • France’s Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, who each already have four goals in the tournament, will be licking their lips.
    — David Hickey, NBC news, 30 June 2026
Definition of licking
Verb
  • French officials condemned the damage to the ancient monastery, comparing it to bombing Notre-Dame, while Ukrainian religious leaders called it a crime against humanity.
    — Mark Temnycky, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
  • Another bad fix bombing out the moment it was most needed.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 June 2026
Definition of bombing
Noun
  • The woman told deputies that over three days she was repeatedly beaten, pistol-whipped and strangled into near unconsciousness before receiving yet another beating Sunday morning.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 6 July 2026
  • Jackson agreed to plead no contest to battery in May for the beating of professional wrestler Stuart Smith at a KnokX Pro Wrestling Academy event in Sun Valley.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of beating
Verb
  • Unfortunately, this can lead to some individuals lashing out in response to their own insecurities, hate and low bar of aptitude, which is confirmed by the tenor of the attacks.
    — Jallicia Jolly, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • Criminal Minds star Paget Brewster is apologizing after lashing out at a critic.
    — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 June 2026
Definition of lashing

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drubbing
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Cite this Entry

“Drubbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drubbing. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of drubbing for Spanish Speakers

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