as in defeat
failure to win a contest
suffered a shellacking at the hands of a vastly superior opposition
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in drubbing
to defeat by a large margin
the local football team was shellacked 35-0 in their final outing for the season
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 shellacking
Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025
The ultimatum came two days after Trump’s reelection and just a week before a tumultuous vote in which the City Council gave Johnson a 50-0 shellacking on his proposal to raise property taxes.
—John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025
This isn’t the first time Drake has had to come back from a rap battle shellacking.
—Jonny Coleman, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Interestingly, the third least-exciting Super Bowl since Y2K was also a beatdown of Patrick Mahomes, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive line ran him in circles for 60 straight minutes en route to a 31-9 shellacking.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Noun
But the Russian-speaking nightclub background actors lapped up Aleksei's Slavic shellacking.
—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025
The ultimatum came two days after Trump’s reelection and just a week before a tumultuous vote in which the City Council gave Johnson a 50-0 shellacking on his proposal to raise property taxes.
—John Lippert, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2025
This isn’t the first time Drake has had to come back from a rap battle shellacking.
—Jonny Coleman, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Interestingly, the third least-exciting Super Bowl since Y2K was also a beatdown of Patrick Mahomes, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive line ran him in circles for 60 straight minutes en route to a 31-9 shellacking.
—Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shellacking
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The 30-year-old, who has played 29 times for Bournemouth in the Premier League this season, was withdrawn on 58 minutes during his side’s 2-1 defeat at Ipswich Town on April 2.—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
-
Arsenal has been cooking recently, going seven straight matches without a defeat.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
There was a buzz around the dressing room about how crucial a win like this could be, particularly given the recent losses.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
The Athletic,
15 Mar. 2025
-
While other trees on her property remained, like the massive elm that frames her home, the loss of the oaks was heavy.—
Tribune News Service,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 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
-
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
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
Verb
-
Representative Mike Lawler of New York, who has hinted at ambitions for a governor bid in 2026, according to the New York Post, will need to walk a fine line between appeasing his party and not upsetting potential voters in his home state, which could put him at odds with Republicans.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
4 Jan. 2025
-
These weeds require control to prevent upsetting the entire turf ecosystem.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
1 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shellacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shellacking. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share