as in defeat
failure to win a contest
took a terrible drubbing in last night's basketball game
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for drubbing
Noun
-
The 30-year-old, who has played 29 times for Bournemouth in the Premier League this season, was withdrawn on 58 minutes during his side’s 2-1 defeat at Ipswich Town on April 2.—
Leon Imber,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025 -
The loss ends Bayern Munich’s run of 22 home games without a defeat in the Champions League.—
Manuel Veth,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 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
-
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
Noun
-
Under the budget plan, overall NASA funding would drop to about $20 billion, down from $24.9 billion in fiscal year 2024, a loss of about 20%.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Cunningham’s injuries, also extensive, were detailed in the lawsuit, including significant disfigurement, extensive surgical reconstruction and loss of mobility.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 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
Noun
-
Correa is accused of participating in beatings, electrocutions and other forms of abuses while allegedly acting as part of a death squad operating under former Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
-
Stocks have taken a severe beating, with many investors selling positions after President Donald Trump unveiled his latest tariff policies late Wednesday.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
5 Apr. 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
Noun
-
The announcement adds to a string of setbacks in the company’s bid to win a slice of the booming market for GLP-1s, which mimic certain gut hormones to tamp down appetite and regulate blood sugar.—
Annika Kim Constantino,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2025
-
McIlroy responded to all of his setbacks admirably.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 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
“Drubbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/drubbing. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share