lick 1 of 2

noun

Definition of licknext
1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument gave the ball a solid lick with the bat

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in shred
a very small amount the soup needs just a lick more of salt

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in damn
the smallest amount or part imaginable you haven't done a lick of work all day

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lick

2 of 2

verb

ˈlik How to pronounce lick (audio)
1
as in to hide
to strike repeatedly your father will lick you good if he hears you using swear words

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2
as in to master
to achieve a victory over he's determined to do everything he can to lick the cancer

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 lick
Noun
The footage, shared to social media, features Hagen's Shaggy picking up Scooby and getting a few licks on his face. — Brenton Blanchet, PEOPLE, 8 June 2026 Coals crackle, flames lick meat, and at the center of the pit stands Tootsie Tomanetz, 91 years old with tree-trunk arms and the nimble grace of a woman half her age. — Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
Verb
Monitor pets for behavioral changes, as pets may experience pain, licking or chewing at a wound, loss of appetite and lethargy. — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 15 June 2026 After milking, the cows would return themselves to their fresh pasture and spend the day grazing, snoozing, licking one another, and cooling off in the shade of pine trees. — Literary Hub, 22 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for lick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lick
  1. blow
  2. shred
  3. damn
  4. hide
  5. master
  6. slap
  7. splash
  8. whit
Noun
  • Vingegaard’s victory at the Giro d’Italia in May, allied with Wout Van Aert’s cathartic win at Paris-Roubaix, has delivered two key objectives but the surprise departure of head of racing Grischa Niermann to Lidl-Trek was a blow.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • Hers is a voice that ought to have a lifetime’s staying power, bolstered by a lyrical and musical sensibility that provide everything her instrument needs to deliver a happy succession of knockout blows.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 3 July 2026
Definition of blow
Noun
  • Their main flaw is that the protagonists rarely display a shred of agency or activity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026
  • The rest of the band followed his lead, particularly Green, a relentless head-banger, dropping to her knees to become one with the feedback and leaning back into beatific shred-faces.
    — Steve Knopper, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2026
Definition of shred
Noun
  • And if that is to be the case, most Chicagoans do not give a damn whether the team goes to Arlington Heights or Hammond.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2026
  • In a world of drivers mostly ruled by their corporate sponsors, Busch was an otherworldly talent who simply did not give a damn.
    — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2026
Definition of damn
Verb
  • For loungability there’s a king bed, a hide-a-bed sofa, a fireplace and theater seats.
    — Kris Millgate, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • When Fluffy failed to come out of hiding after 24 hours, Melissa Kirby and her husband began making and posting missing cat posters around their neighborhood.
    — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 1 July 2026
Definition of hide
Verb
  • There’s a fleet of school supplies to amass, multiple schedules to master, and a lot of stress—both for my kiddos and on my end.
    — Melissa Willets, Parents, 6 July 2026
  • Faculty across the country increasingly report spending more time teaching skills that many students once mastered before arriving on campus.
    — Scott White, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of master
Noun
  • DeTiger also discusses working with Caroline Polachek, Chromeo and Stargate, the viral videos that launched her career, the influence of Rush’s Geddy Lee and developing her signature slap bass style.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 30 June 2026
  • Morgan responded with a slap and brush off of the voodoo.
    — Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 28 June 2026
Definition of slap
Noun
  • Mysterio came back with a baseball slide into a splash on the outside.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • Betts is making his splash at the plate again.
    — Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 29 June 2026
Definition of splash
Noun
  • His adoration, here as in all things natural, is infectious, although the birds themselves care not a whit for him, and isn’t that part of the wonder, the fun?
    — Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
  • An unconventional structure or new approach bothers them not a whit.
    — Mac Barnett, Longreads, 5 May 2026
Definition of whit

Browse Nearby Words

licit
lick
licked
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Cite this Entry

“Lick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lick. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of lick for Spanish Speakers

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