shellacking

Don't get shellshocked!
shellshock

shellacking
noun
Synonyms of shellacking
: a decisive defeat : drubbing

Synonyms
beating
defeat
drubbing
licking
loss
lump
overthrow
plastering
rout
trimming
trouncing
whipping
Examples of shellacking in a Sentence
They took a shellacking in yesterday's game.
suffered a shellacking at the hands of a vastly superior opposition
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While Ohio State is a perennial ratings draw, even the rich kids from the Big Ten can’t do much to prevent fans from churning away when a shellacking is in the works.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 22 Jan. 2025
But as a 36-14 shellacking in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday night cautioned America … not all of them.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 29 Dec. 2024
But what a resounding response Ohio State had in a 42-14 shellacking of a Tennessee team that allowed more than 20 points only twice in the regular season with 31 on the high end.
—Tom Layberger, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
But health wasn’t the only reason Hannegan chose to leave public life: Many of his fellow Democrats blamed him for the party’s shellacking in the 1946 midterms.
—Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024

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
Articles Related to shellacking

Dictionary Entries Near shellacking
shellac

shellacking

shellac wax

MLA
“Shellacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shellacking. Accessed 14 Feb. 2025.

shellacking

noun
: a lopsided defeat


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Post-traumatic stress disorder

Shell shock is a term used to describe a type of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to combat situations. It originated during World War I to describe the psychological and physical symptoms experienced by soldiers exposed to constant bombardment of artillery shells.

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