1
as in to hide
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible
students at the private school were once routinely birched for violating the rules
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to lick
to strike repeatedly
always a stern disciplinarian, our father birched anyone who talked back
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of birch
Kerri Westenberg, Star Tribune, 11 Sep. 2020
Hannah Seo, The Atlantic, 29 Mar. 2025
When birch trees were about to lose their leaves in the fall, there was a reversal in the flow of sugar as the evergreen Douglas firs sent it back to the birch trees through the same mycorrhizae.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for birch
Verb
Find yellow aspen and birch along the shoreline and red maples inland.
—Kerri Westenberg, Star Tribune, 11 Sep. 2020
Noun
Perhaps that’s why people around the world have had the impulse to gnaw on tacky materials—roots, resins, twigs, blubber, tar made by burning birch bark—for at least 8,000 years.
—Hannah Seo, The Atlantic, 29 Mar. 2025
When birch trees were about to lose their leaves in the fall, there was a reversal in the flow of sugar as the evergreen Douglas firs sent it back to the birch trees through the same mycorrhizae.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for birch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for birch
Verb
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Read Next World Palace gardens hid 900-year-old ruins of bathhouse in Spain — until now.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
14 Apr. 2025
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The titles of 12 such books — some of which may have been published before 2025 — are hidden below within an unrelated text passage.—
J. D. Biersdorfer,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The race is being widely viewed as a must-win for Democrats who at the national level are still licking their 2024 election wounds, as well as a potential referendum on Trump and Musk.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2025
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Cora appears to enjoy the routine and happily lets the cat lick at the tufts of blonde hair on her head.—
Kelli Bender,
People.com,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Autumn is my favorite season in Cuyahoga Valley, as the oaks, hickories, and maples explode with fall colors.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Apr. 2025
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Tennessee is a beautiful state, especially in the fall, when tulip poplars, sugar maples and hickory trees turn bright red, gold and copper, making the drive as joyful as the destination.—
Colleen Creamer,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Underneath her coat, Witherspoon wore an ankle-length black skirt and leather round-toe boots.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
28 Jan. 2025
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Compare with the Met’s full-size cast, from 1985, and these miniatures cleave the collective anguish into distinct emotions — one figure seems mid-dance, one bored, another ecstatic — in a range of patinas, from dark chocolate to leather.—
Walker Mimms,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Better to lash out first, or at least build up a protective armor.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Apr. 2025
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All the while, sawn-off shotguns; love locks inscribed with names lashed to bridges, their keys slung into the river; and other reminders of modern life are topping up the Thames.—
Sean Kingsley,
Smithsonian Magazine,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The chairs combine an aluminum frame with gorgeous, crisscrossing rattan.—
Nora Taylor,
Architectural Digest,
28 Mar. 2025
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This comes in four beautiful shades, inspired by the Italian shoreline, and there’s even a touch of rattan for a beachy bedside table moment.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Take it from us and whip out this gem for special occasions versus everyday wear, as Gucci recommends shielding it from direct light, heat, and rain.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
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In the early hours of April 21, 1775, gale-force winds whipped across the town square, driving the shivering sentries from their posts to the shelter of their beds.—
Andrew Lawler,
Smithsonian Magazine,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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All that — that’s what came turning around the corner late Sunday afternoon, striding through a tunnel of fans off Augusta’s 18th green, walking without a shadow despite a shallow sun; arms extended, eyes welling, chest pounding.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Deadly flooding in the South and Midwest The mother of a 9-year-old boy is speaking out after he was swept away and killed by floodwaters in Kentucky during the four days of historic storms that pounded the region.—
Chris Looft,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Birch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/birch. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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