1
as in blow
a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument
gave the ball a solid lick with the bat
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in splash
a very small amount
the soup needs just a lick more of salt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in damn
the smallest amount or part imaginable
you haven't done a lick of work all day
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in to hide
to strike repeatedly
your father will lick you good if he hears you using swear words
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to master
to achieve a victory over
he's determined to do everything he can to lick the cancer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 lick
Lauren Coates, Variety, 23 Mar. 2025
The first responders will stay as long as duty demands—the Eaton Fire remains roughly 90% contained, though cleanup efforts will likely continue well past the last lick of flame.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 22 Jan. 2025
Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2025
Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis are licking their chops.
—Jeffrey Gedmin, National Review, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lick
Noun
Instead, Rupp ended up playing the only member of Agatha’s coven without a lick of magical talent.
—Lauren Coates, Variety, 23 Mar. 2025
The first responders will stay as long as duty demands—the Eaton Fire remains roughly 90% contained, though cleanup efforts will likely continue well past the last lick of flame.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 22 Jan. 2025
Verb
Marchand has crossed lines by licking players, or repeatedly punching a hockey pacifist like Vancouver’s Daniel Sedin in a final series.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2025
Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis are licking their chops.
—Jeffrey Gedmin, National Review, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lick
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lick
Noun
-
That’s a major blow to both sales and long-term customer loyalty.—
Samuel Mueller,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Image Other economists also said the blow to the labor market, which had cooled before Mr. Trump embarked on his global trade war, could be severe.—
Tony Romm,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Stir-frying is a method of quickly searing and cooking bite-size pieces of protein and vegetables in a splash of oil over high heat.—
Lynda Balslev,
Mercury News,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Skin tones appear accurate, and splashes of blues and oranges pop out nicely.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Since the death of Tom Petty meant an end to his primary job in 2017, Tench has still been visible in the background as a member of the house band in practically any tribute show that’s worth a damn.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Continue reading … 'STEELE' THE SHOW – MSNBC host demands Democrats start giving a ‘damn’ about Trump, Musk in fiery rant.—
Fox News,
Fox News,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
-
Because the kitchen is visible from the living and dining areas, Allison downplayed the utilitarian stuff, tucking the stainless-steel refrigerator behind a wall and hiding the range behind the island.—
Amy Panos,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Apr. 2025
-
The shooter behind the 2023 Nashville elementary school attack that killed six people, including three children, had been obsessively planning it for years while hiding mental health issues from family and doctors, a police report released Wednesday reveals.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
To learn even more about the Omnibus changes and how an ERP-centric system can benefit your business, read SAP’s latest white paper on mastering CSRD here.—
Sophia Mendelsohn,
Forbes.com,
4 Apr. 2025
-
Egwene trains to master Tel'aran'rhiod while Mat's group pursues Liandrin's Black Ajah.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Two minutes later, Pastrnak redirected a slap pass from Morgan Geekie into the net to tie it 2-all.—
Jimmy Golen,
Baltimore Sun,
2 Apr. 2025
-
Closing the door to these studios during the extreme hype of a console’s launch window would be a slap to the face.—
Jason Evangelho,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
To put it more directly: Iowa State, Colorado and Arizona better leave no shred of doubt in the remaining weeks of Big 12 play and the conference tournament to have a shot at March Madness.—
Mark Schindler,
The Athletic,
19 Feb. 2025
-
Trump’s contrived veneer is being ripped away to reveal an immoral, mendacious, transactional opportunist, without a shred of loyalty to anyone or anything but himself.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The show also begged us to care one whit about Nick’s secret romance with… Jessica’s sister!!!—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
24 Mar. 2025
-
The lack of logic Trump’s fun-house version of justice may not matter a whit to voters, or alter even slightly their perceptions of the two major parties.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
The Mercury News,
4 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lick.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lick. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share