1
as in whipping
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
Relevance
2
as in licking
to strike repeatedly
always a stern disciplinarian, our father birched anyone who talked back
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for birching
Verb
-
Elle was also seen whipping her hands in a circle to the music during the awards ceremony.—
Stephanie Wenger,
People.com,
6 Jan. 2025 -
This instant camera captures little moments and big occasions on film, which feels a little more special than whipping out an iPhone.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
2 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
Jared Harris is the best movie John ever, licking his lips and sucking his teeth; Aidan Quinn is the best movie Paul.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Boston, Cleveland, and New York are licking their chops, ready to feast on a Bucks team missing its point guard, its bench leader, and its identity.—
Brian Sampson,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
But over the past two terms of the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, these vendors were accused of hiding their identity, of pretending to be Hindu.—
Ismat Ara,
TIME,
15 Mar. 2025
-
With their teeth bared in a frozen rictus grin, this couple appears to be hiding a darkness which we are left only to guess at.—
Naomi Fry,
The New Yorker,
15 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Ruby, overwhelmed by the changes, began lashing out.—
TJ Macias,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Ruby, overwhelmed by the changes, began lashing out.—
TJ Macias,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
But the unhappy ending is especially head-pounding for Saxon Ratliff (Patrick Schwarzenegger).—
Bryan Alexander,
USA TODAY,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Queen finished with a team-best 17 points, but Maryland frequently settled for outside jumpers instead of pounding the ball inside to Queen and Julian Reese.—
Lindsay Schnell,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The plan was implemented after several high-profile incidents occurred on the city's subway system, including a deadly shooting that broke out on an elevated train platform and a train conductor who was injured in a slashing attack.—
John Bacon,
USA TODAY,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Loosened qualification requirements for business financing were further underscored by a September announcement from the Federal Reserve which spiked optimism in the market by slashing interest rates.—
Brock Blake,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
He was also accused of battering his ex-wife.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Rivera and his son were due in court the day of the incident because of a previous domestic violence situation in which the father was accused of battering him, the daughter told police.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The Gators still easily picked up Todd Golden’s first NCAA tournament victory and the program’s first win in the Big Dance since beating Virginia Tech in 2021.—
Edgar Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Micron Technology — The semiconductor stock slid almost 4% despite beating Wall Street expectations for earnings in the fiscal second quarter and offering strong guidance.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
21 Mar. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Birching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/birching. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share