shellacking

shellacking
noun

: a decisive defeat : DRUBBING


Synonyms
beating
defeat
drubbing
licking
loss
lump
overthrow
plastering
rout
trimming
trouncing
whipping

Example Sentences
They took a shellacking in yesterday's game.
suffered a shellacking at the hands of a vastly superior opposition
Recent Examples on the Web
It’s those fundamentals that suggest Democrats are headed for a shellacking on Election Day.
 Ben Kamisar, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2022
So after Thursday night’s 14-1 shellacking, update the numbers.
 Theo Mackie, The Arizona Republic, 26 May 2022
Oregon State’s 42-9 shellacking of Colorado on Saturday in Reser Stadium was a complete beatdown, just as the point spread of Beavers by 23 suggested.
 oregonlive, 22 Oct. 2022
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These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shellacking.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors.

shellacking

Word History
First Known Use
1931, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shellacking was in 1931
See more words from the same year