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1. An unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
   "they suffered a convincing licking";
   - defeat
    
2. The act of inflicting corporal punishment with repeated blows
   - beating, thrashing, drubbing, lacing, trouncing, whacking, hiding [informal]

1. Pass the tongue over
   "the dog licked her hand";
   - lap
    
2. Take up with the tongue
   "the cub licked the milk from its mother's breast";
   - lap, lap up
    
3. [informal] Beat thoroughly and conclusively in a competition or fight
   "We licked the other team on Sunday!";
   - cream [informal], bat, clobber [informal], drub, thrash [informal], marmalise [Brit, informal], marmelize [Brit, informal], marmelise [Brit, informal], wipe the floor [informal], paste [informal], beat hollow [informal], whale [N. Amer, informal], marmalize [Brit, informal], smoke [N. Amer, informal], hammer [informal], muller [Brit, informal], blow away [informal], slaughter [informal], tromp [N. Amer, informal], trounce
    
4. [N. Amer, informal] Find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of
   "did you lick the problem?";
   - solve, work out, figure out, puzzle out, work, suss [Brit, informal], suss out [Brit, informal], unriddle

Derived forms: lickings

See also: cipher

Type of: beat, beat out, conclusion, corporal punishment, crush, drink, ending, failure, finish, imbibe, shell, stroke, trounce, understand, vanquish

Encyclopedia: Licking, Missouri