shellackings

noun

plural of shellacking
as in defeats
failure to win a contest suffered a shellacking at the hands of a vastly superior opposition

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shellackings
  1. defeats
  2. losses
  3. setbacks
  4. beatings
Noun
  • Lose Game 2, and the Dodgers will be two defeats from a bitter winter.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Marseille ended a run of five straight defeats with a 2-0 win at fellow struggler Troyes to move out of the relegation zone.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of defeats
Noun
  • Victims can seek compensatory damages for actual losses, but not punitive damages.
    — Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The Jets are 1-14 in their past 15 visits to Gillette Stadium, with six of those losses coming by at least 14 points.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of losses
Noun
  • Through schoolyard rivalries, neighborhood hustles, and family setbacks, Kev turns every disaster into a story.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Despite undergoing a blood transfusion, which briefly provided a glimpse of hope, Jackie continued to suffer setbacks in her recovery due to the sickness, which remained a mystery until Wednesday's announcement by California wildlife officials.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of setbacks
Noun
  • Xuan is also charged with delivering one of the beatings himself.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The indictment also describes a political opponent identified as Victim-3 who was subjected to beatings, sleep deprivation, threats and prolonged exposure to bright lights and loud sounds.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of beatings
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.

Browse Nearby Words

shellacking
shellackings
shellacs
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Cite this Entry

“Shellackings.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shellackings. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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