as in defeat
failure to win a contest
suffered a shellacking at the hands of a vastly superior opposition
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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
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Recent Examples of shellacking
George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
The Warriors are 16-4 with him in the lineup, even after the shellacking.
—Danny Emerman, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
Utah has suffered three blowout losses over the last week and a half: a 7-1 shellacking against the Oilers, a 5-1 home ice defeat to the slumping Red Wings and an embarrassing 8-0 defeat against the Lightning on Thursday.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Per Nielsen, viewers who watched the Eagles’ shellacking of the Chiefs on Tubi were 38% more likely to be members of the coveted adults 18-34 demo than the total-game average.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Noun
In California, Democrats gained three House seats and now outnumber Republicans 43 to 9.
Democrats suffered a trifecta loss of Washington power, but not a shellacking — nothing that a more appealing presidential candidate couldn’t have remedied.
—George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2025
The Warriors are 16-4 with him in the lineup, even after the shellacking.
—Danny Emerman, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
Utah has suffered three blowout losses over the last week and a half: a 7-1 shellacking against the Oilers, a 5-1 home ice defeat to the slumping Red Wings and an embarrassing 8-0 defeat against the Lightning on Thursday.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Per Nielsen, viewers who watched the Eagles’ shellacking of the Chiefs on Tubi were 38% more likely to be members of the coveted adults 18-34 demo than the total-game average.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shellacking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shellacking
Noun
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Another way in which partisanship has brought us to this incipient defeat of the constitutional order is that the Congress has been rendered all but incompetent by faction.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
30 May 2025
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Perhaps the most revealing setback came in the 3-2 Copa del Rey final defeat by Barca.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Noun
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One of the key themes of Part II is the fact that everyone is only seeing things from their perspective; all these characters who are suffering loss and passing that suffering on to others are doing so in ignorance.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
27 May 2025
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Being moved to the rear of the field also resulted in the loss of Ericsson's and Kirkwood's prize money and the championship points from their original finishes.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2025
Verb
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Elle was also seen whipping her hands in a circle to the music during the awards ceremony.—
Stephanie Wenger,
People.com,
6 Jan. 2025
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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
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The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has arrested one man and is searching for another after the brutal beating of a 27-year-old off-duty officer during a robbery in the Bronx early Saturday.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
28 May 2025
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He was then bound by the wrists and subjected to beatings, electric shock and a hit to the head from a gun.—
Mark Crudele,
ABC News,
27 May 2025
Noun
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Zelensky said the setbacks for the Kremlin would help force it to the negotiating table, even as its pursues a summer offensive on the battlefield.—
Mehmet Guzel,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2025
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Zelenskyy said the setbacks for the Kremlin would help force it to the negotiating table, even as its pursues a summer offensive on the battlefield.—
Mehmet Guzel,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2025
Verb
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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
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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 5 Jun. 2025.
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